Sentiment and Duty
by havanatitiana
Summary: Killua never left home at 12. At 18, he's grown up as the heir to the family business and is sent on his first long term mission. He's decided to make his father proud and go back to claim his title. However, along the way he will meet Hayuri and she will change him forever. After all, the best things in life are not planned. (Killua x Oc)
1. First Phase

I have had this idea of a fan fiction for a long time. It's been roaming around my head and I had to write it down.

Standard disclaimer applies. The world of HxH and its characters are not mine… I only own my OC and this particular plot.

CHAPTER 1

A silver haired teenager sat on a bed in a huge opulently furnished room. He was holding an open thick book with his right hand while supporting his weight on the mattress with his left one. He had a lean muscular body and was wearing a sleeveless black shirt and blue shorts. The room was light by a huge crown on the ceiling, which embedded the whole place in a cold blue colored light. The light made his pale skin look even paler, and his hair shine with an unusual glow.

The boy had his head tilted towards the book, therefore his eyes were hidden under his bangs. Nonetheless, one could tell that he was intently reading the words on the pages. The front cover of the book was a plain green and had the words "History of corruption in the democratic republics" written on it with silver. There were actually several book shelves in the room, the books in them appeared to be ordered according to themes.

There was a discreet knock on the door, which made the teenager look up from his book. His eyes were an electric blue, but even though the light in the room made the color stand out, they appeared to lack the common shine they should've had.

"Yeah?" he said in a voice that wasn't too deep.

The door slowly opened and a black haired, male butler came into view. He bowed a bit and spoke.

"Master Killua, your father wishes to see you."

"He does?" the boys eyes widened a bit. It didn't seem that it was usual for his father to call for him.

"I'm not certain why, but I can suppose you have a job to do." He said with a court tone. "A letter came in this morning, sir."

"I guess that was to be expected." he sighed while putting a bookmark on the page he was reading and closing the book. He stood up and walked to the desk to lay the book down. "I'll be right there."

-Timeskip-

Killua stepped out of the bus to find himself in front of a stadium, the atrium was packed with children and their families, which made it look like summer camp. He stuck a loly pop into his mouth, put his hands into the pockets of his black shorts and proceeded to the entrance. As soon as he entered the foyer he was greeted by a receptionist.

"Good day, how can I be of help to you?" She said with a smile.

"I'm here for the flash chess tournament."

The woman's eyes widened in recognition and slightly bowed. "Please follow me, sir." The lady said and walked down the hallway. She opened a service door and motioned inside. "Down stairs will you find the place. Good luck." She said closing the door behind her. Killua lazily walked down the stairs and found a second door at the bottom, which he guessed was 10 meters underground. He opened the door and found himself a huge basement filled with bulky men. He took a step forward and was instantly approached by a small, bald green man.

"Welcome to this year's hunter exam. Please take this badge; it holds your number as a candidate and you must keep it at all times." He said handing it over.

Killua took the badge noting that he was number 273 and pinned it to his navy blue t-shirt. He walked around for a while and noticed that everybody he saw looked pretty weak. He smirked and sat down leaning against the wall and waited.

After some time a box nosed man crouched in front of him and started talking to him, which Killua ignored. He then offered him a chocolate, which Killua accepted and ate. He knew it was poisoned and watched his dumfounded expression as he asked for more. He opened his bag and Killua grabbed a handful of candy and thanked him with a smug smirk. The man started sweating, made up a lame excuse and left. Killua wished to pass this exam fast and without any trouble, so he decided to keep other examinees away from him. Unless they gave him candy, of course. He looked around and noted that the amount of people inside had grown considerably, at least doubled over.

After 4 or 5 hours and just while he was popping another loly into his mouth, a loud ring echoed and a door opened. A middle sized woman entered the room. She looked pretty plain, except for her wild hair which was a fiery red and almost as big as herself. She gave a toothy grin and clapped her hands three times in order to gain attention.

"Alright! The first phase is about to begin. We have a vast amount of participants, 764, which needs to be reduced. Also I want to try something new this time. So, this exam will be done in pairs that will be randomly decided by us." She said and whining and complaints were heard all over the place. Killua grunted and face palmed. _So much for trying to stay away from other participants_. The examiner took out some sort of device. "Every duo will be bound to each other by the wrist with this. This is no ordinary machine. It's made of a special material that makes it indestructible even to most pro hunters. It's coded so that it will keep both examinees bound until this phase finishes." She put the device into her pocket and raised both hands and six fingers. "Every pair needs to take six badges from other contestants while keeping both of your badges safe. You must also make sure that your partner survives. When you have all 8 badges please come to this checkpoint. After the exam is over the bindings will be automatically removed. Now you will be assigned a partner, please check out your number on the screen and go the appointed box."

Killua searched for his name on the screen and got in line. After a couple minutes his name was called and he walked to the assistant, who took his wrist into his hands and attached the device firmly. Killua looked at the other end of the device but his partner was hidden by a wooden wall. He waited until the assistant nodded and said to step away to allow the next one in line to step in. He walked out of the box and looked to the side to come face to face with his partner.

"A girl? Really?" He grunted and tilted his head backwards. "Tough luck."

"Hey, what the heck is that supposed to mean." The girl that seemed to be around Killuas age frowned. She was around 1,65 mt tall and had medium body contexture. Her skin was light brown, her eyes were green and her dark brown long hair was tied up in a high ponytail. She wore black leggings, brown combat boots and a manly green tank top. She also carried a leather backpack and had a small pouch tied to her hip left hip, which lead him to assume she was left-handed. She looked at him for a moment and a smug expression appeared on her face. "I can totally stand up to you in a fight any day."

"Yeah, right, miss number 119." Killua snorted and turned his head away. "Better prove it by not dragging me down."

"You should take your own advice, seeing that apparently I arrived before you did." She smirked

"Pfft, that proves nothing. I may have just woken up an hour later than you did." He said raising an eyebrow. The girl smiled a little and looked at their joined wrists. The cable binding them was 50 cms long, which allowed some movement, but forced the pair to work together. She guessed if he didn't prove to be as competent as he appeared to be she would have to carry his dead weight around.

They stood side by side watching the last couple candidates in their box get their wrists bound, which took 2 or 3 more minutes. When everyone was done the bell sang for a second time and the redheaded woman made an opening gesture. "Now that every participant has a partner, the exam will begin! Ready, start!"

The girl immediately crouched down to avoid kick to the head and swept her attacker from his feet with a low roundhouse kick while keeping her bound wrist above her head. Killua dodged a couple punches while swiftly kicking his two opponents with a bored face. He saw from the edge of his vision his partner grab a man and crouched down just in time for her to roll over his back en slam the poor guy on another attacker that was just by his side with full force. Another man run towards him and he kicked him in the chin while whacking somebody else in the back of the neck knocking him out. The girl he was bound to jumped and simultaneously kicked two bulky men that were on each side of her. Other attackers were dissuaded from trying to take their badges seeing how they had managed to defeat 7 people in just 5 seconds. Killua groaned and jerked his arm in order to pull the poor girl closer. She stumbled and almost fell over, but managed stand and turned to face him.

"What?" she growled with a frown on her face.

"I have my three badges already." He said raising his free hand and showing the items. "I told you not to drag me down."

"HA, you'll have to take that back because I'm done as well." She said with a smug smirk while holding up three badges as well. Killua blinked in surprise and suddenly wished he had looked her way to gauge her strength. He had not expected her take any badges that fast. Of course he had also taken them too fast for the untrained eye to see, but he had special training. He absolutely did not expect to find anybody here, a _girl_ nonetheless, to be that fast. He hadn't even bothered assessing her strength because of her gender. Now that he put some attention to it, it was clear she was a better fighter than most contestants. She walked and stood with the presence that only came with battle experience. His instincts told him that she was a strong opponent, nearly as strong as he was. "Tch, whatever. Let's just go."

He started walking dragging her along with him and feeling a vein popping out on his forehead as he heard her giggle at him. They reached the checkpoint in half a minute later and handed their badges to a short man with grey hair. He wrote down on a notebook and opened a door for them.

"Congratulations. It's impressive how little time it took you, but I'm sorry to say you were second." He said and both of them walked through the door and heard it close behind them. They realized they were in some sort of hangar that contained a huge airship, which both assumed would take them to the second exam.

In the hangar with them were two other people, a man and a woman. The man looked to be around 30, had red hair and was dressed as a jester. The woman in the room looked pretty scared and was trying to discretely walk away from the man. Both Killua and the girl he was bound to tensed at the sight of them, immediately recognizing he was dangerous. Another fact became apparent to his female companion while watching the scared woman walk away.

"Hey! How come their device has already unbound their wrists and we're still connected?"

"Huh?" Killua widened his eyes and turned around just in time for two other applicants to enter the hangar. Who by the way also had their wrists unbound. "Hey! Wait!" He said pointing at the man that took their badges. "How come we haven't been unbound?"

"Oh, you haven't? It appears this particular device is faulty and didn't take in the signal to open. You'll have to wait until the next phase ends and you meet the chairman. He's the only one with the authority to do so now. I'm sorry for the inconvenience." He answered and turned his back on them to keep on greeting other applicants.

Both teens turned around with a frown on their faces.

"What have I done to deserve this?" The girl next to Killua face palmed and sighed in defeat.

"You're complaining? You should be thankful, woman." Killua said putting his free hand on his hip and turning his head to face her.

"Oh yeah, thank you Kami for allowing me to spend more time with a sexist rude guy." She said in mock joy.

"Aghh... just please let the next phase start already!" Killua complained while sitting down facing away from her. She sat down next to him as far as the device allowed them to. Both stayed in silence sulking in their demise for what seemed like hours, but actually was just thirty more minutes.

A voice spoke though speakers announcing that the first phase was over and that 230 applicants had passed. It then instructed them to board the airship, which would take them to the second exam site in and an eight hour journey. Both entered the airship silently cursing the long trip and stopped walking down the hallway a good ten meters away from the entrance. Both watched the stadium they had been at through a window as the airship took off.

"It's nighttime already." The girl said pointing to the dark sky outside. "Around 11 pm."

"You don't say… thank you for pointing that out." Killua rolled his eyes.

"Damn you, jerk. I'm implying that we'll arrive to the second exam site just at dawn. I wonder if it was scheduled that way on purpose." She said lifting her free hand to her chin.

"Maybe the second phase will last the whole day." He added widening his eyes a bit. "But it could also mean that it's a very short one and we'll have enough time to go and do the third phase as well."

"I have the feeling it will be the first option, though I wish it's the second."

"So do I." Killua combed his hair with his free hand while raising his bound wrist and sighing. "Then we'll find the chairman and get this fucking thing off."

"Well, in any case I'd like to eat something now."

"What if I don't want to go to the dining room?" Killua scoffed.

"I'll have to try and drag you there for the eight hours remaining in here. You don't want that do you?" she said glaring.

Killua glared at her a little and then sighed… again. "Better not let it get to that, we're bound too close and I don't want bloodstains on my shirt."

Both walked in an uncomfortable silence to the dining room and sat at a table. They waited for a while until the waiter walked to them. He handed them the menus and came back when the girl motioned for him to approach them.

"What would you like to order?"

"I want noodles with tomato sauce. Also, a glass of soda." he said leaning back into the seat and looking up to the waiter who turned to his partner.

"I'd like a steak, mashed potatoes, a mixed salad of whatever you have and water, please." She said smiling and handing the menus back.

"All, right. Got it. I'll be right back." He left.

The girl looked around and watched the other contestants in the room. After a minute or two of observing them she chuckled.

"You'd expect the participants to be stronger. I mean, they're all bulky and shit, but I can tell that they are weak."

"They're as almost as bad as any other civilian." He nodded looking around as well. "Although I must say the creepy man dressing as a jester is really dangerous."

"Yeah, I noticed. I'm definitely weary of him. He's stronger than both of us."

"I'd say that if we're both 8 out of ten, he's ten out of ten. I'd even say he must be on the top 50 fighters worldwide. I'm pretty good at gauging the strength of other people."

"You're a humble one, huh?" she said rolling her eyes. "I would've thought you were pretty bad at it since you thought I was weak."

"Well, you were a girl. I didn't want to waste my time judging your strength. So I just assumed you were weak." He answered shrugging.

A tick mark appeared on her forehead. "You're not only insulting women by saying that, but also yourself." She said and Killua raised an eyebrow at her. "You're underestimating half of the population. One day you're arrogance will get you killed."

Killua glared at her a little but kept quiet. He was too proud for his own good, so he didn't agree with her out loud. But she was right and he knew it.

"All right." She said after eating the last of her food and putting her cutlery down next to Killuas empty plate. "Let's go get some sleep, ok?"

"Whatever." Killua muttered still bothered by what she'd said and stood up and walked to the door closely followed by her. He was sick of the damn device linking them together, he needed his personal space. Also, he needed to use the toilet.

"Stop." He said suddenly stopping and making her crash into his back. He turned to a door that was in the hallway, put his hand in the handle and turned his head to look at her. "Wait here, I'll be right back."

Without waiting for an answer he opened the door and closed it behind him. She was about to complain when she saw a sign that had a man drawn on it. Her wrist was pulled until it was pressed against the door. She blushed at the uncomfortable situation and realized with embarrassment that she also needed to use the bathroom, and hoped that the length of the device binding them would be enough to reach the toilet. She wouldn't be able to wait until he next phase was over, which was the following day.

Five minutes later Killua came out and she pointed to the door right next to the one his was closing.

"I also need to go." She muttered while averting her eyes. She quickly walked into the other bathroom and closed the door behind her. Thank god the thread joining both their wrists was flexible and thin, therefore allowing the door to close almost completely. She sighed in relief when she realized that the bathroom was individual and had only one sink and one toilet, which were right next to the door, allowing her to reach just fine.

Killua stood on the hallway with his hand pressed to the door and grunted in frustration. If this had to go on any longer he didn't know how he'd handle it. He had never imagined himself in a situation as silly as this one. He'd normally just kill whoever put him in this position, but he couldn't kill an examiner since he would fail the exam. He also couldn't kill the woman since she was pretty strong and if he managed to get rid of her, he would probably end up beaten pretty badly and would have trouble doing the exam.

The door opened and out came his partner flashing a shy smile at him. He smirked at her modest attitude. He lightly pulled his wrist and walked towards the one of the rooms that were appointed for sleeping. She coughed trying to break the silence, since it made her uncomfortable now; she was a little embarrassed after the bathroom situation.

"Erm… Finally we'll get some sleep. By the way, my name is Hayuri." Killua simply looked up to her for a second with a bored expression and kept on walking. Hayuri forgot her shyness and frowned a bit "Do you not know common courtesy? If I introduce myself you're supposed to do so as well."

"I don't feel like telling you my name. Why should I?" he said opening a door and pulling her into the room. It was filled with bunk beds organized in lines which held around 20 sleeping examiners.

"Rude bastard" Hayuri whispered under her breath and followed him to a bed in the farthest corner. He sat down and looked at her with a poker face.

"Let's get to sleep and don't move while you sleep. I will take it as an attack." He whispered and laid down on the right edge of the bed while she laid on the left side. She was a little angry at his rudeness, but took in a deep breath and tried to put her mind at ease. She found a position in which she didn't touch him at all and slowly drifted to sleep.

Killua only allowed himself to close his eyes when he heard her breath become slow and steady. He didn't want to have to do anything to do with her, since it would only get in the way of his mission. But even though, he found teasing her pretty amusing.

 _Hayuri, huh?_

Thank you for reading! Please Review!


	2. Second Phase

CHAPTER 2

Hayuri woke up abruptly when she felt movement next to her and sat up raising her guard while frantically checking her surroundings. A light tug on her right hand and a silver haired young man next to her reminded her of what her current situation was. Her male companion looked at her with an unreadable expression and pointed to her head.

"You don't want other contestants to see you like that; they might get so scared that they'll drop out. On second thought, go ahead."

"Urgh..." Hayuri rubbed her eyes with her free hand and lightly felt her hair. Killua was right, she guessed she looked like a character from a horror show, since her hair felt as though it was a second head on top of her own. It was probably due to the fact that she'd slept with her hair tied up and it had turned into a mess while being held together. She took her hairpin off and opened her backpack to take out a foldable hair comb. She then proceeded to comb her hair for the next minute while Killua watched her thinking how much of a bother it appeared to be having long her. He had always thought that when looking at his father and brother and he thought it now looking at Hayuri. Suddenly a short melody sounded through the speakers.

"This is an announcement for our contestants. The second phase of the hunter exam will be explained to you in the dining hall in twenty minutes. Please gather there immediately and enjoy the breakfast that will be served. We will arrive to our destination shortly."

Hayuri folded the item and put it back into her backpack. She stood up to stretch her body and grunting loudly while smiling with contempt.

"Jeez, what kind of lady are you?" Killua said breaking her out of her bliss. "Didn't your parents teach you any manners?"

Hayuri scowled and turned to look at him "I almost forgot about _you_. No I'm not a lady and no my parents died a long time ago." She put her backpack on her right shoulder and walked towards the door with Killua quietly following behind. Now that she was at the front and wasn't directly looking at him she realized how quietly he moved. If it weren't for the device binding them together and pulling her wrist slightly back she would've never realized there was anybody there. And she was more than impressed, since she had always felt proud about her tracking skills and senses. Curiosity got the best of her and she tilted her head to watch him on the edge of her vision.

"Hey, how come I can't hear you there? You have an impressive skill there. Where did you learn that?"

"Maybe you are just too deaf." He said mocking her.

"Really? I compliment you and that's you answer? Seems like you are even grumpier in the morning." She pouted and turned to look ahead once again, so she didn't see how Killuas free hand tightened into a fist.

They were just finishing their eggs and cereal when a tall man with short blond hair entered a stage that was right next to the buffet. He had a white suit and a flashy white smile. When he stood in front of everyone he appeared to be well mannered like a politician or a member of the royalty.

"Good morning everyone! My name is Pariston and it's my pleasure to meet you all. I will be you examiner for the second phase. This phase will take place in Mandrago Forest, a famous place for its rare ecosystem and wild life. It's a huge and dense forest surrounded by steep and dry mountains filled with rare creatures and animals due to its isolated situation. You may wonder how come such lush green and great diversity exists right next to an arid landscape as are these mountains. Well, it's all thanks to water coming from an underground spring. Your particular task is to safely arrive to any of the three sources of water while avoid getting lost or killed by a beast or another applicant. The time limit for this phase is 5 days, and once that time has passed the committee will find those who are still in the forest. We're already landing, so I will take my leave. Good luck everyone! And please try to enjoy the scenery!" He said and stretched his arms sideways and turned to leave the dining hall.

"What..." Killuas eye twitched. "Five..."

"Five days!" Hayuri yelled and face palmed. "I don't know if I can keep up with your attitude for a whole five days and nights.

Killua rubbed his temples and sighed. He knew he had been rude towards her, but it was mostly because he didn't want to relate to anybody. He had wanted to stay away from other applicants and had expected them to part ways soon. But seeing as they were going to have to work together for a week his idea of being rude and licking up fights all the time didn't seem as appealing as it did before.

Another part of him has always found entertainment in teasing other people. But it usually didn't imply being too rude, unless that person was Milluki. So he decided to change his course of action.

"Hey, Hayuri." Killua said and effectively caught the girl attention, who hadn't heard him call her name before. "I think we started off on the wrong foot. Let's try to get along better this time around, I believe it's in both our interest."

"You bet!" She said and raised her hand with a peace sign.

Both walked to the main hallway and exited the airship to find themselves in front a beautiful landscape. Hayuri couldn't hide her surprise and joy and even Killua, who wasn't especially keen of nature, felt his eyes widen a bit. Most examinees were having similar reactions and they stood there for a couple seconds before taking off.

"I suppose we should also get going. Let's walk around until we find a stream of water to follow." Killua motioned towards the edge of the clearing.

"You don't know much about navigation do you?" Hayuri raised three fingers. "There are three easy ways to find water. First, we should check out the general topography in order to find the lowest parts of the land. Second, tree trunks that are constantly shaded will have a higher humidity where they receive humid wind. Third, most mammals will live near water."

"Well, what can I say; I've never really been the nature loving kind of guy." He shrugged.

"A friend of mine always says someone who hates nature should never be trusted."

"Well, I never said I hated it. I just have never had the chance to get to like it." Killua said. "Besides, you're stuck to me anyways, so that doesn't really matter."

Both walked out of the clearing and into the forest after Hayuris directions. They follow the general direction that they read on the tree trunks and walked for a couple hours. During that time they encounters two wild animals that attacked them; the first looking like a lion that stood on two legs, and the second that looked like a bear sized crustacean. Both were pretty strong animals, but they were no match for any of them. Suddenly they came across a 50 mt tall tree that could've been 500 years old and climbed it. While standing on top Hayuri quickly explained how to assess the landscape from above the canopy and pointed at the lowest part in their area. It was around 20 kms away, which meant they'd have to walk for four hours. Since the sun had been burning for a while now, Killua assumed it was noon and suggested they had lunch. They gathered some logs to build a fire, killed a weird animal that was the size of a rabbit and skinned it.

"You know, you are actually not bad to be around when you're not being a jerk" Hayuri smiled while holding her half of lunch on a stick. She and Killua had been walking around all morning and, even though they hadn't talked too much, it had been a nice conversation. When they didn't talk they were left in a comfortable silence and enjoyed the scenery. At least Hayuri did.

"Not bad? I told you, you should be grateful it's me coming with you. I'm the best company you can find."

Hayuri rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless. They finished their dinner and walked the remaining four hours to the lowest part of the forest. On their way they encountered a couple other animals which they intimidated with no trouble at all and they were left alone. When they got there they walked around for another bit until they heard the sound of streaming water. They followed the sound and found a crystal clear stream that was packed with fish and other creatures that looked like bald rabbits. The slope was steep enough to make a strong current and the water white. The sound of running water was so strong that if they stood too close they could barely hear each other speaking.

"Wow, it's pretty." Hayuri admired what laid in front of her.

"I guess." Killua put his free hand into his pocket and stood next to her for a couple minutes.

"Ahm…" Hayuri scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "The sound of running water has made me want to go to the toilet."

"Well, that's an issue right there. I had forgotten there were no doors out here." Killua sighed and scratched his temple looking around. "I have an idea, come on." He said and lead Hayuri to the river bank and pointed at a tall dense shrub just at the edge. "Being this close to the river won't let me hear a thing and being on the other side will cover you up. Good enough?"

Hayuri sighed and smiled "Yeah, good enough. Stand there and **don't peek**. Got it?" she raised a fist while stepping behind the bush.

"Tch, as if I'd want to see something like that." He scoffed and waited until she came out.

"I think this idea will come in handy as long as we are out here."

"It definitely will. We should find a place to sleep and then get dinner." Killua pointed at the sun, which was nearing the horizon.

Both of them agreed on sleeping between the raised roots of an old tree. They found firewood, caught a couple fish and cooked them next to their sleeping spot. They ate as night fell upon them while speaking a bit about everyday subjects until the fire died down.

They laid down next to each other in between the roots and under the canopy. Hayuri covered them with a thick scarf that she carried, which managed to keep their arms warm enough. Killua was pressed to Hayuri, position he was kind of uncomfortable with. He wasn't used to touching people and cursed the binding device that didn't allow him to be somewhere else.

"Hey, I don't bite. No need to be so tense." Hayuri chuckled "Besides, this way we won't have to bother about freezing in our sleep."

"Yeah, you're right. G'night." He said. She was right; there was nothing to get worked up about. Killua took a deep breath, forced himself to relax and slowly drifted to sleep. He was used to sleeping on edge, resting his body but not his mind. Somehow now, while in the middle of the hunter exam, he had a dreamless and relaxed sleep like he couldn't remember ever having.

The next two days they followed the stream upslope to its source without any incidents apart from the occasional attacks from wild beasts. Each day they would hunt something to eat, build a fire, eat with little conversation and sleep next to each other to keep their warmth. Both Killua and Hayuri found themselves actually enjoying the company and feeling some kind of unexpected familiarity on the way they spent their days.

The morning of the fourth day they were suddenly woken up by their instincts that screamed there was something dangerous around. Both sat up suddenly and almost at the same time to come face to face to the jester like participant that they weary of. Their sleepy demeanor was instantly washed away by dread.

"My~my~ look at the two of you cuddling like that. Have you gotten intimate at a time like this?" He asked while liking his lips and shivering in delight. "You could invite Hisoka to participate sometime~"

"Nothing has happened, you creep!" Hayuri answered with a light blush and wondered why he spoke of himself in third person.

"Well that's definitely boring. I expected more of my favorite applicants." He said licking his lips. "I've been looking for you and can't wait to get a taste of you~"

Killua and Hayuri frantically looked at each other with confused and crept out expressions. What exactly did he mean with taste?

Suddenly Killuas alarm bells rang and he pushed both himself and Hayuri away from the tree just in time to avoid four cards that were now struck to the tree trunk. They were immediately on their feet and swiftly dodged 6 more cards that were thrown their way. Right behind the cards came Hisoka with great speed aimed a kick at Hayuri who managed to block him out with her forearms. At the same time he punched Killua who dodged at the last minute and threw a side kick to his side and sent him back a bit. Hayuri jumped back to put some distance between them, but her wrist pulled her back to Killua.

"Damn, how are we even supposed to fight like this?" Killua glared at their joined wrists and hissed.

"Get on my back." Hayuri said and Killua stood frozen on his spot. "Come on!"

Killua quickly jumped on her back to have her put her free hand in her lower back to hold him up and hold her left tied up hand up next to his.

"You're our hands." She said and Killua nodded. Hisoka smirked and attacked again trying to punch Hayuri on the gut. She dodged sideways and aimed a kick to his side to have her ankle grabbed. She took advantage of her momentum and kneed Hisoka on the gut in the blink of an eye forcing him to release her leg. As soon as she was in a standing position again Killua aimed a circular punch to his jaw, which was swiftly blocked, but pushed Hisoka a couple meters back.

"Switch!" Killua said getting off and letting Hayuri on his back. Hisoka then smiled wickedly and was on them in an instant. He threw a low kick to Killuas knees, but he ducked and took the hit with his thigh instead. Hisoka tried to grab Killuas neck repeatedly but his hands were deflected by Hayuri every time. He smirked and aimed a punch to Killuas cheekbone, but she blocked it with her forearm sending both her and Killua flying backwards a good 5 meters.

"You have passed, you are both strong. But you'll lose anyways. That last punch you received had only 5% or the power of something that you lack. I'm not telling you what it is, but you'll get stronger without it. I'm looking forward to fighting the both you when you have it."

And with that he was gone.

When he was far enough Killua turned to Hayuri.

"Hey, are you all right?" He whispered.

"Yeah, I believe that my right forearm is damaged, but apart from that I'm fine."

"Good, I don't want to have to drag you all the way." He said standing up and taking a couple steps but limping a little while doing so.

"That kick to your thigh really got to you, huh?" She said smirking.

"It's just a muscular thing, no biggie; I can keep up to you no problem." He turned his head with pride.

"You don't have to act al macho around me. You won't impress anyone here." Hayuri smiled and Killua turned to give some kind of retort when he saw her crouching with her back towards him. "Get on."

"No way, I won't have girl carry me to the third exam." He crossed his arms pulling her right hand along.

"Agh!" Hayuri hissed at the pain in her arm and glared at Killua. "Be more careful, will ya?"

"See? How do you expect to carry me around with an arm like that?"

"I have an idea" she said pulling out her thick scarf and tying it around herself in a cross shape. "See? If you put your legs in here I won't have to use my arms to hold you up."

"I refuse. My pride as a man is on the way."

"Is your pride so big that you'll risk failing the hunter exam?" She pointed out and when Killua stayed quiet for a couple seconds she continued. "You know that if you walk the rest of the way you probably will end up with a seriously injured muscle. If you don't strain it, it will probably be much better when we get there."

Killua sighed knowing that she was right and simply put his hands on her shoulder for support while placing each leg between her side and the scarf. He then crouched down as well and she fastened her scarf around his legs so that it supported his weight without stretching too much. When she was done Killua took her backpack and put his arms around her shoulders.

They walked for the whole morning while the scenery changed from abundant green to one with less vegetation. They decided to stop by a sunny and guarded spot next to the stream they were following. As soon as Killua got off Hayuri laid down on the floor and released a long sigh.

"Heeeee…" she wiped the sweat out of her forehead. "Damn, you look pretty lean, but you're heavier than you appear."

"What can I say, I'm all muscle." Killua smirked and Hayuri rolled her eyes. He lifted their joined wrists "Hayuri, come closer to the stream, I'll catch something to eat while you take a break."

When Killua had caught a couple fish, Hayuri stood up and followed him around the clearing while he picked up some firewood. Since they were both injured and didn't have the energy to find a lot of wood, Hayuri suggested that they built a rocket kind of oven with rocks around the wood to do a better use of the heat. Killua did the handwork since his arms were in good condition and he then light the fire up. When it was hot enough, he stuck the fish with two tree sticks and put them over the fire. When they were finishing their fishes something occurred to Hayuri.

"Remember that Hisoka told us that we had passed? What was that all about? Does he think himself to be some sort of examiner?"

"I thought about it during the morning and I think he is just a sick freak." Killua said making Hayuri sweatdrop. "From what I observed, he has some kind of sick obsession with power. Maybe he expected us to be stronger; maybe he just wants us to get stronger. I don't really know, but I think trying to understand a psychopath's train of thought will get us nowhere. We should just try to get away from him."

"Yeah."

"I'm now a little worried with our pace though. Before we were going at a steady and fast pace, but now we're probably the slowest candidates." he said scratching his chin.

"Well, having you walk is out of the question, since it would be just as slow and you'd worsen your injury."

"Why do you care?"

"Huh?"

"Why do you care about my injury? If our roles were reversed I'd have you walk around without a second thought."

"I don't believe you." She smiled. "We were attacked as an item, and your injuries are my responsibility, just as mine are yours. It just makes sense that we'll look out for each other out until we get to the third phase."

Killuas eyes widened at that. He had never thought about things this way. He had been taught to be selfish and work individually every time. He was supposed to kill his target, avoid getting in trouble and get rid of anything or anyone that got in the way of his purpose.

"You are weird." He chuckled.

"You think so?" she shrugged. "Any way, when I say I'm a little worried I don't mean to say I think we'll fail. I just like making sure we'll get there first. I have the feeling we'll get there sometime tomorrow."

"I see what you mean. The phase was thought in a way that a certain number, let's say 20% of the current participants will finish it. If we take into account how fast we have been moving the last three days, we would've probably arrived today before noon. Since we're taking around three times as much time now that I'm injured, we'll probably arrive just before nighttime."

"Exactly, so we shouldn't worry about being late. What we should worry about is being attacked by another beast or applicant now that we're injured. We have to be extra careful. I can tell you have good instincts, so I want you to focus on our surroundings while I take us uphill. Is that all right with you?" She said and Killua nodded.

"I have noted that the vegetation is now scarcer, which means we are more exposed to attacks."

"On the other hand, the fact that the vegetation is scarcer means that we have gone a long way uphill, since there is not as much organic matter on this part of the slope resulting in less vegetation."

"Also, since there is less vegetation, we are less likely to find wild beasts. They probably roam around the greener parts of the valley." Killua raised a finger and they silently agreed to take off.

They made sure the fire was out and Killua climbed on Hayuris back again. They had walked for two whole hours when Killua noticed that there was movement nearby.

"Stop!" he softly hissed and Hayuri immediately did as he asked. It was only when she was standing still that Killua realized her legs were shaking. He could tell that her body was too fatigued to be able to fight properly. He silently cursed and pointed to their right, where he sensed the movement. He climbed off and leaned on his good leg waiting for whatever came their way. After a couple seconds a figure appeared from behind a few shrubs. It was a wild beast that resembled a reptile walking on two legs and had big claw like hands. Its skin was red like and looked to be almost an inch deep. It also was much bigger than the last ones, reaching up to 2,5 mt tall.

Hayuri tried her best to maintain her body in a steady position and keep it from shaking, but failed miserably. If there was something she knew about wildlife, was that predators always went for the weak one. And if it attacked her now, she wasn't sure she'd live.

The beast came to a stop in front of them and thoroughly observed them. Killua and Hayuri stood frozen and waited for some sort of reaction. Suddenly it sprinted towards Hayuri with a claw raised. She had enough experience to already know she didn't currently have the strength to avoid, deflect or block such an attack and felt death closing in on her.

Killua watched the scene unfold in front of his eyes and time seemed to stop. He remembered what he had been taught since he was a kid; to always work solo and keep his identity hidden, to always get rid of whatever got in his way, to never waste his energy on useless things while on a mission. While these memories flashed through his mind, he watched Hayuri close her eyes on the attack. Before he knew what he was doing, his nails sharpened and his arms were as fast as whips.

Hayuri waited for the blow on her head with closed eyes, but it never came. She heard a loud thump and opened her eyes to find the beast bleeding to death on the ground with its claws cut in half. On her side stood Killua leaning on his good leg with a nonchalant expression.

"Wow. You did this?" She asked pointing at the corpse at her feet. "That's some sharp weapons you have there."

"I guess." He shrugged

"I knew it." Hayuri smirked at him. "Deep down you're a good person acting all tough."

"I'm not. You're my ride." Killua mumbled. _That's right, she's still useful._

"Oh, right. I forgot." She turned her back to him and crouched. "Let's go."

Killua frowned and wondered if it was all right to do that since she was exhausted.

"If you walk and injure yourself further all my effort will be in vain." She complained looking straight ahead.

"But look at you! You're almost at your limit."

"I think of this as training. Besides, as soon as we arrive I'll get a good night's sleep and a whole day to recover. It's just fatigue, I'll be all right."

"Fine..." Killua hopped on and she started walking.

A couple hours later, when Hayuri thought she'd collapse anytime and the sky was red and purple, they got to a rocky wall and a waterfall. But the water didn't fall from the top, instead it poured right out of the wall. It was yet another breathtaking scenery to look at.

"We did it!" She smiled and crouched down. "You don't want to finish the phase on a piggyback ride do you?"

Killua sulked a little bit while getting off and slowly walked to the rocky wall next to Hayuri until they saw an assistant waving at them. He looked at the girl that still had her wrist tied to his. She looked a little pale, was covered in sweat and had bags under her eyes. Her right arm was swollen and her brown hair was disarranged. She really was a mess.

"Hayuri."

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"Anytime." She smiled a toothy grin.

"By the way, the name's Killua." He said while turning around and walked to the assistant.

It was only at that moment that Hayuri realized that he had never given her his name before.

Please Review and tell me what you think so far!


	3. Third Phase

So, he comes the third chapter. I hope you enjoy it!

CHAPTER 3

Killua sat with his legs crossed on the floor of a dim lit room. Next to him was Hayuri sleeping like a rock on a bed. As soon as they'd arrived to the source of the stream, they were told to wait for a helicopter, which would take them to an airship nearby. So they sat down and, as soon as Hayuri did, she felt the built up fatigue of carrying a 70 kg. man around for a whole day catch up to her all at once. She didn't talk while they waited, nor when the assistant said that 20 people had past so far. She didn't talk on the small means of transportation and didn't talk when they entered the airship. Fortunately, Killua understood that she was worn out and asked for a place to sleep in her stead. As soon as she entered the room, she walked to a bed and dropped herself on the mattress. Killua crouched to make some sort of joke, but realized she was already asleep.

She had been sleeping for 12 hours now and, even though Killua knew he owed her at least some rest, he had the now urgent need to use the toilet. Their wrists were still tied, since they had yet to find the chairman. He sighed and leaned on her sleeping form.

"Oii, Hayuri." No response. "Wake up." He shook her.

She shifted and groaned turning to face him. She had drool all over her left cheek, her hair was a mess and her eyes were so swollen that she could barely open them.

"Huh.." she blinked hard, forced her eyes to open and focused on Killua. "Er...Killua was it?"

Killua had the urge to snap at her for forgetting his name. Then he remembered what state she was in when he told her and let it go.

"Yes." He lightly pulled her tied wrist with his own. "I need to use the toilet."

"All right." Hayuri stood up and stretched for a couple seconds while Killua returned her backpack.

After both finished using the toilet, they met on the hallway and looked down to the forest through a window.

"How's your arm?" Killua asked out of the blue and turning to look at her.

"It hurts, but I don't think it's serious. Although I'll have to get someone to look at it." She answered raising her swollen and bruised forearm. "That punch really was something."

"That creeper...I wish I didn't have to see him ever again, but if I want to finish this exam I have no other option." Killua frowned and looked out of the window again. "About your arm, there's a doctor on this airship. At least that's what I heard before."

"Really? Where can I find him?"

"On level B on the central hallway." He said and watched her make a confused expression. He sighed and turned his back to her to start walking, forcing her to walk as well. "I'll show you. How can you not know where that is? I mean, every corner in this ship has a map."

Five minutes later they were standing in front of a medic. He examined her and concluded that she had a minor fracture, but was incomplete with her bone was still being in place. Therefore, she had to avoid using that arm since it wouldn't only hurt as hell, but it could also break completely under enough pressure.

Both of them left and headed to an assistant requesting to speak to the chairman on an urgent matter. They were told he was currently busy and that he would be notified so that he approached them as soon as he was free. So now both found themselves sitting in the dining room once again, but this time the number of candidates had notoriously decreased.

"I'm having anything but meat for the next week." Hayuri scratched the back of her head.

"Me too, I got my monthly ration these past few days." He pointed at the menu. "Sadly there are not many options."

"What do you expect? It's just the hunter exam, not a hotel." She shrugged and opened the menu. "What do you mean, Killua? There are at least 20 different dishes in here."

"Is that a lot by your standard?" Killua raised an eyebrow.

"Wha-? Are you serious?" She gaped at him. "Where do you even eat? Are you some kind of rich kid?"

"You could say that." He shrugged.

"Really? What do your parents do for a living?"

"They run the family business." He answered sharply, Hayuri didn't notice how his shoulders tensed, but guessed he did not wish to speak about it any further.

"Ahhhhh, now I get it."

"Get what."

"How come you're such a spoiled brat." She smirked.

"I'm definitely not spoiled, and not a brat either."

"How old are you?"

"18. An adult as you now know." He answered smugly.

"Really? Me too. And I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but as long as you act like a brat, you're still one to me."

"Well, you're a brat too."

"Oh well, I don't know, maybe I am. But I'm not spoiled."

They spent the rest of the morning and noon in comfortable silence with occasional jokes and comments. When they were finishing their lunch, a man in a suit walked to them and said the chairman was going to see them now.

Both gulped down the rest of their food and followed him to a double glazed glass door. He knocked and opened the door for them as soon as he was instructed to do so from the inside. Killua and Hayuri entered the room and sat down on two small chairs in front of a desk. They couldn't see who sat on the leather seat because it was too tall and facing away from them. After almost a minute of sitting in silence, Hayuri coughed and the chair turned to reveal an old man with white hair and long earlobes that seemed to at least be in his 90s. He grinned at them.

"Well, hello there. I heard you had an urgent matter to discuss with me."

"Yes, sir." Hayuri raised her right wrist, which was tied by the first phase device. "This device didn't release us as it was supposed to after we passed the first phase."

"We were told that you were the only one with the authority to turn it off, old man." Killua added and earned a disapproving look from Hayuri.

"Oh, my. Does this mean that you spent whole five days tied together?" He said giggling and suddenly there was mischievous spark in his eyes. "This sounds like the plot of a shitty porn movie."

Killuas eyes widened for a second. "That's true."

Hayuris aura suddenly turned dark and she stood up.

"Sir, I'd like to be unbound, if you may."

"I would've liked to see how this played out." He said still grinning, seemingly unfazed by her deadly aura. "But if you insist."

He said raising his hand to touch the device and, as soon as he did, it opened up.

"Wha-How did you do that?" Killua asked.

"That's for me to know and for you to wonder."

"Well, thank you for your help sir." Hayuri slightly bowed and walked to the door. She stopped before opening up and looked back with a smile. "I'll see you around, Killua."

She then left both men alone, who stayed silent for a couple seconds.

"So... tell me." The chairman leaned forward in his seat. "Did something happen?"

"What? No, of course not!" Killua scoffed, stood up and left as well.

"Ha... I remember when I was their age." he softly said and leaned back onto his seat.

Killua walked down the hall way noticing that now, after almost a week, he was free. He decided to wash his slightly smelly body, so he found a bathroom and took a shower. He enjoyed how the warm water felt after being deprived from it for so long. He was scrubbing the dirt that was now practically glued to him with a little too much force, turning his pale skin red. When he was finished, he turned the water off and walked out wrapping a towel around his lower body.

Killua had been a little upset with the perverted old man when he left his office, but was now relaxed after showering.

When he finished, he put on clothes and walked out to the hall way. He looked at a clock and realized that he still had a couple more hours to kill until dinner. He decided to head outside to the open deck to chill for a while and enjoy his personal space. He found a spot that allowed him to have a good view of the landscape and where the wind didn't blow too strong. He sat there watching the mandrago forest while stretching and massaging his sore leg until the sky changed colors and a couple stars appeared. It got a little cold for comfort, so he headed inside and ate dinner. He took his time eating and soon realized he was pretty bored, but didn't want to talk to the other participants sitting there, so when he finished he simply left.

As soon as Killua got to out of the dining room, a voice talked though the speakers and declared that the second phase was over with 50 participants passing. It also announced that the airship would arrive at the third exam site in 7 more hours. He assumed that, due to the number of people still taking the exam, there would be two more phases. He decided to sleep for the remaining time, so he entered a dormitory and found a bed to sleep in.

As he stretched his body and covered himself with the soft covers, he found that he was feeling something he didn't remember ever feeling before. Even though the emotion was foreign to him, he immediately knew that he felt lonely. He cursed himself for it, turned to his side and closed his eyes. He didn't need anyone distracting him; he was on a mission. Making allies was all right, but befriending them was out of the question.

\- Time skip -

After almost 12 hours of solitude, Hayuri had woken up and turned around to greet Killua. After opening her mouth, she realized he wasn't there and remembered that they were now unbound. She felt pretty stupid after almost talking to nobody and decided to eat breakfast. So, now she sat in the dining room eating fruit and a sandwich with her healthy arm. Suddenly, she saw Killua enter the room with his hands in his pockets, a bored expression in his face. She sprung to her feet and walked his way.

"Killua!" Hayuri waved and he stopped walking to look at her. "Hey, it's pretty boring without you bickering around. How was your alone time?"

"It was good." Killua answered with a plain face. "And I intend to have some more."

Hayuri stood there for a second and watched him walk a couple steps away. She shook her head and caught up to him.

"Hey, what's wrong?" She said while softly and took a hold of his arm with her good hand. "If this is about me suddenly leaving yesterday... I was just pissed at the old man."

"Why are you still talking to me?" He said, his eyes suddenly turning cold and sending a chill down her spine. "Our alliance was over the moment the device was removed."

He walked away and Hayuri didn't follow him this time. She was a little shocked at his cold manner and, why not say it, a little scared at his tone and his eyes. Her shoulders dropped a little and she walked back to her table to finish her breakfast.

She sat there, with a tight feeling in her chest, for what seemed like half an hour until loud ring sounded and a figure entered the stage. It was a tall woman with a tight suit, high heels and long blond hair. She was gorgeous.

"Good morning. My name is Geraldine and I'll be you examiner for the third phase. As hunters, one of your most basic skills will be being able to locate particular people. That's why, in this phase, your task will be to locate the members of an underground band of thieves, who currently control this city. Each of you will have a different target, which you'll have to find and apprehend, but cannot kill. Once you find your target, please bring it back here before 3 pm sharp. Also, you have to work as quietly as possible and avoid any harm to civilians. Now, please come over and pick up an envelope."

Everyone did as she said. Hayuri stood in line, picked one and walked back to her spot. She looked at Killua discretely as he received his own. She didn't want to admit it out loud, but she felt a little hurt by his actions. After spending five whole days with him and seeing how well they got along in the end, she'd thought they had a friendly relationship. That's why she'd helped him to that extent on the second exam. She was still a little sore even after a whole day. The thought of him pretending to be friendly, just to get her to help him out throughout the whole phase, made her feel a little sad... and a little stupid. She inwardly scoffed and decided to let it go, she didn't want to get attached someone who didn'twant to be friends with her.

"All right, now that everyone has an envelope, please open it and see who your target is." The woman instructed and everyone did as she said.

Her target was a lean man, he had short black hair, fair skin and purple eyes. He looked to be pretty tall, around 1,85 mt and athletic. She folded the picture and waited for the airship to land to get off.

Killuas target, on the other hand, was a big bulky man that wore a smug dirty smirk on his face. He looked weak and Killua smiled. _Piece of cake._

He looked up and his eyes unconsciously found Hayuri. He immediately averted them and he cursed under his breath. A part of him felt a pang of guilt every time he thought about how mean it was to push her away, especially when she'd helped him finish the second phase in good condition. His leg didn't even hurt at all anymore. But, at the same time, another part reminded him that he had to try to avoid unnecessary interactions and that he needed to focus on passing the exam. That part of him was the most influential, as it had always been, and thus he chose to stick to his decision to avoid her.

As soon as he set foot on the outside, he took off to find the nastiest part of town. It was not a big city, probably less than 100.000 inhabitants, so he found the place within two hours. He looked around for a while and made a mental map. When it was around 10 pm, he watched the neighborhood get livelier. He observed for a twenty minutes until he saw somebody who seemed would be useful. It was a tall man dressed in sport clothing, who walked around like he owned the place and people around him were too respectful. Killua smiled at his foolishness and jumped down of the roof, onto the sidewalk. He approached the oblivious man until he stood next to an alley blocking his way.

"Hey dude, move the fuck away." He said.

"Huh? Why should I?" Killua feigned ignorance.

"What?!" The man spat, literally. "Don't you know who I am?"

"I don't. Please enlighten me." He mocked.

"Why you... I'm a part of the pillars, so you be-" he was cut off by a wall slamming on his back. When he opened his eyes, he was in an alley and the white haired boy was holding him by the throat with an iron grip. His steely blue eyes dripped with murder and his voice made him feel like a mouse in front of a lion.

"You will do as I say or I'll kill you. If you understand nod your head." Killua said and the poor guy nodded, while trembling like a rabbit. "Now, I want you to answer me truthfully. If you don't, ill know and you'll fucking regret it." He said, pulled out the picture and held it in front of his eyes. "Do you know this person?"

"Y-yes." He stammered.

"Good." Killua smirked. "What's his name?"

"Alexander Riegs."

"Where is he now?"

"I-I'm not sure, but he lives just around the corner with his mother." He said and gave him directions.

Killua made sure he was too scared to inform anyone of their talk and then followed the man's directions. He came to a small chalet, that had a beautifully arranged garden in the front, which was currently being taken care of by an older woman in a pink dress. Killua knew better than to let a mother know he meant harm to her son.

"Ehh.. excuse me, mam?" He said sheepishly. "I'm looking for Alexander Riegs. Is he around?"

"Oh? Sorry hun, he left a while ago and won't be back until later."

"Really?" Killua feigned demise. "No way! I was supposed to pay up today before noon! I don't want to get into trouble.."

"Oh, boy. Is it that bad?" She asked and Killua nodded. "Well, I suppose I can tell a sweet boy like you where he's gone to, it's not too far and I guess you can make it there by noon."

She explained that today he was doing some business in a nearby blue warehouse, which had the name Tuxeno written everywhere, and that he couldn't miss it. Killua bowed, thanked the lady and left with an amused smirk. He didn't know whose acting skills were better; his own or that oblivious looking lady, that knew all about her sons dirty deeds.

He couldn't blame her for spilling the beans, though. Nobody dared stand up to his band in the city, not even the cops. What could and eighteen year old boy possibly do?

\- Time skip -

Hayuri was hiding on top of an old looking container and looking down on a tense conversation. She had just eaten a bread and chocolate bar for an early lunch and was currently licking some of it, that was still stuck to her fingers. The conversation down there was about someone taking somebodies else's girlfriend away, because they owed him money. Where women some sort of bargain now? And why do these women get involved in this kind shit anyway? She was brought out of her thoughts when somebody else entered the place. Black hair, fair skin, purple eyes. It was her target. _Bingo._ He looked pretty strong; not as strong as her but definitely stronger than most civilians. She could compare him with some of the strongest applicants in the hunter exam apart from Killua, Hisoka and herself. He was probably one of the upper heads of the gang and the reason why the cops had no chance in disbanding them.

She looked at her still swollen arm and frowned; she had always disliked fighting while injured. She tended to focus so much on the battle, that she forgot about her injuries and ended up worsening the damage on her body. But she couldn't take that risk now; she still had at least one more phase to go. She had to wait for her target to be alone and apprehend him in a way that lowered her chances of direct hand to hand combat. She also couldn't simply cut him to death, since she was supposed to deliver him alive.

The best course of action would be to knock him out before he even knew she was there, but since he was pretty strong, there was the possibility that he'd sense her before she striked.

Another way was to injure him lightly on a surprise attack with her daggers and then engage in combat, when she had the upper hand.

She could also fool him and try to engage in conversation, to attack him by surprise. But he didn't seem to be stupid, for what little she'd seen him interact.

She decided to not take any chances in throwing away the element of surprise, so she chose the second option. She waited for half an hour until he left, but he didn't leave alone. She muttered a couple obscenities under her breath and looked at her phone. It was 1,30 pm. If she had to carry a dead weight to the airship, it would take her around an hour, so she still had half an hour to catch the guy. She assessed the third party's strength and decided he was weak. She made the decision in the blink of an eye.

She grabbed four short daggers and threw them at great speed towards her target, hitting both arms and both legs simultaneously. He yelped and turned around raising his guard. Hayuri was sprinting through the place, right behind her daggers, and caught up to them before the third party even finished turning around. She swiftly knocked him out in one second and moved to dodge an attack her target threw at her.

They walked in a circle around each other, while he took the daggers out of his limbs. He threw them back at her and she caught them with ease.

"A woman, huh?" He smirked. "You are strong, and ok looking even though not being pretty. I would've taken you in if you hadn't attacked me, bitch."

"Who would want to have anything to do with you." She glared.

"Don't worry, after I beat you to a pulp, I might give your body some attention."

Hayuri knew what he was doing; he was trying to get her to attack impusively. She jumped and aimed a vertical kick to his forehead, which was blocked. He then tried to punch her side, but she dodged by grabbing hold of his arm and pulling herself behind him. She tried to immobilize him, but before she completed the move, he broke free and elbowed her in the gut. She was pushed a meter back and then jumped further away from him.

"You, _bitch_ , are a fucking rat, aren't you?" He spat. "You are trying to catch me, not defeat me."

Hayuri didn't reply and jumped in order to avoid another kick to her side. She did a roundhouse kick that connected to his head loudly, but before she could pull away, he grabbed her ankle and aimed a punch to her left jaw. She was forced to use her injured hand to block it, and couldn't dodge since he was holding her in place. Suddenly, and before the fist connected with her arm, her leg was freed and her target was laying on the floor motionless. She sharply turned her head to find Killua leaning on the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Killua?"

"You should've knocked him out on your first attack, he was not going to notice." He said.

"Why did you come here?" She asked, ignoring his previous comment.

"Oh, this is my target." He said, picked up the man that she'd knocked out first and put him over his shoulder.

"Why did you help me?"

"If you'd blocked that attack, your arm could've broken up completely. The exam is not over yet."

"I know, but why?" She repeated crossing her hands in front of her chest.

"Jeez, don't ask such questions. I owe you that much at the very least." He said and took a few more steps away, but then stopped. He turned around to look at her still form with a raised eyebrow.

"What?"

"Are you coming or not?" He said with his signature bored expression and turned to leave.

"Who the fuck understands you, Killua." She complained, but a smile could be heard clearly in her voice. She threw her target over her shoulder and followed him out of the warehouse.

Ta dah! Chapter 3! Please review and let me now what you think!


	4. Final Phase

So, here comes chapter eight. Please enjoy!

CHAPTER 4

Killua didn't know why his resolve to stay away from Hayuri had disappeared so easily. When he got to the warehouse, he saw that she was tailing the man next to his target. Before he could make a decision, she launched an attack and engaged in combat right afterwards. He watched them fight from close up, planning on staying hidden until she finished her business and left with her target. When he saw the man take hold of her ankle, he immediately knew she'd be forced to use her injured hand to block it. Before he had the chance to even consider his choice, his body moved on his own and he knocked the man down.

He had been wondering about his actions while they silently walked back to the airship. He honestly had no idea. He refused to accept that it was because he somewhat cared about her. After a while, he concluded that maybe it was his instincts, which warned him about losing an ally that may have been useful later on. Killua always trusted his instincts and, therefore, decided to stay on her good side for now.

After delivering both their targets to the committee, they went to have a late lunch. He dropped his body on a chair in the dining room, expecting to have a peaceful dinner and not have to wonder about his actions anymore. Well, he hoped wrong.

"So, Killua." Hayuri began after a while, when both had already ordered dinner. "What was that all about?"

"Ahhh.." Killua inwardly cursed and thought hard for an excuse. "I was in a bad mood."

"That's all?" Hayuri stared in disbelief. "You're the cranky type, aren't you?"

"Well, I didn't sleep well last night and woke up listening to somebodies whining. I ended up almost getting into a fight. When I decided to leave and get some peace, you came along." He swiftly lied. "I may have over reacted. Sorry."

"Well, try to keep your mood in check next time around, ok?" She sighed and leaned back into her seat. "I'm not angry now, but I felt pretty bad when you reacted like that. Honestly."

The waiter came back with their food, serving Killua a plate of lasagna and Hayuri a steak with rice and tomato salad.

"What happened to not eating meat for a week?"

"Ah, well, seems like I'm done with that. I absolutely felt like having a juicy steak for lunch today, so I just did." She shrugged

When she finished talking, the door opened and a chill went down their spines. Hisoka entered the room and stopped a couple steps away from them. He watched Hayuri take a bite of her food and he groaned in pleasure, to which she instantly stopped chewing.

"Ahh~~~ Hayuri-chan. Why not entertain me?" He said and stretched his neck sideways. "There are only a few things more exciting than watching strong women eat meat. Also, Killua... your presence delights me as well; the aura you radiate makes me shiver... Please enjoy your meal."

He walked away to find an empty table leaving a crept out Killua and Hayuri behind.

"Damn, that creeper is back." Hayuri spoke lowly and put her fork on the table. "He ruined my mood; I don't feel like eating anymore. It's a shame, since this steak tasted particularly delicious. It's juicy, skillfully cooked, and the seasoning was perfect. On second thought, I'll take the previous statement back." She picked the fork up again and cut herself another bite.

Killua rolled his eyes at her antics and watched Hisoka discretely. "I think he has some kind of weird obsession with power; he always seems to get excited by it. And apparently we second him in power in this exam."

"That psycho."

When they finished their lunch everybody was trying to guess what the next phase would be about. Everybody agreed that it would probably be the last phase, since there were only 15 examinees left. Also, most of them guessed that the last exam involve fighting, since it was the most prominent ability of all hunters. Other participants thought that it would involve something different, since the first and third phases had already mostly been about fighting. After discussing about it for over an hour and not reaching an agreement, many candidates, including Killua and Hayuri, decided to leave.

"So, it's only 5,30 pm, and we have to kill time until nighttime. Want to go sit in the deck for a while?"

"Whatever, I don't have anything to do." Killua shrugged and followed her outside. The wind was strong, since the blimp was now on the move. The sky was clear and the sun was shining, but the heat was not uncomfortable at all.

"Hey, Hayuri, I know the perfect spot." He said and led her to the place he had been sitting at the day before. "I found this place yesterday."

"Haaa." Hayuri nodded. It was a wooden surface 1,5 meter above the ground that had half of its perimeter guarded by the walls of the interior deck. It opened up to the back of the airship, which allowed a good view but was protected from the strongest winds. They climbed and laid there for around half an hour.

"Hey, Killua." Hayuri said making him turn his head her way. "Why do you want to be a hunter?"

"Well, I guess it's the same reason as everybody else." He said after looking back up to the clouds. "It's a fun job, it pays well and gives you many privileges." He finished and sat up stretching his arms above his head. "What about you?"

"Ah, it's part of my job." She said. Killua widened his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I've been working for contract hunters for the past 10 years. It's tradition that every member that has already reached the majority of age must have a hunter's license. If they don't pass the exam, they are not allowed back until they do." She explained. "So, in a way, this is a test to measure your abilities and to force you to become stronger. Practically everyone fails their first attempt and many people come back only after three or four attempts."

"Well, I don't see you having any trouble passing." He pointed out.

"That because I've been working with them for 10 years now, so I've had plenty of training already. You don't see many eight year olds working with hunters." she chuckled.

"That makes sense. So your parents are hunters as well?"

"Not really." She said and turned her face away from him just a bit. "My parents died when I was 6 years of age. I learned to live on the street and developed some stealth abilities so I could steal food. I was found by one of these hunters and she said that I had potential, so they took me in and trained me. I think they actually felt pity and decided to lend me a hand. They're my family now and, also, I owe them for saving my life. I want to help them out in any way I can, I don't really care about the pay."

Killua nodded. He thought he could imagine what she meant, even though he had never really felt that way about family. He was trying to live up to his father's expectations, but not because he felt that he wanted to help him, but because he felt it was his duty as the heir. It was his destiny and the only motivation in his life.

The sky slowly shifted towards an orange shade as they laid silently, each focused on their own thoughts.

The next day everybody was on edge throughout the morning and breakfast. The blimp arrived to a fancy looking hotel and they were told to meet the chairman in the main room. Everybody stood there waiting, the air feeling tenser than ever before. Everybody anticipated that the last exam would have them fighting against each other. Suddenly the double wooden door opened loudly and the chairman walked in followed by an assistant with a metal cart, which was covered by a red fabric. They walked until they stood in the center of the room and they were immediately neared by the remaining participants.

"I love the tension in the air!" He grinned and placed both hands on his hips. "As you have probably already figured out, this will be the last phase of this year's hunter exam. It will be a one on one tournament. Every candidate will fight 3 times and must earn 2 victories to pass. The rules are simple; you cannot kill your opponent, and you'll win if he accepts defeat or if you knock him out. There's not a time limit for the encounters. Are there any questions?"

"Are we allowed to use weapons?" A candidate in the back raised his hand.

"Ah, weapons. Yes, you are, as long as they are not fire power." The chairman said and pointed to another man that had raised his hand.

"How will you choose everybody's opponents?"

"Lots will be drawn to decide that." He said and the assistant removed the red cloth revealing a whiteboard and a golden container. "Now, if there are no more questions, each of you will have to take a number from the lot. The results will be written down on this board."

Everybody did as they were told and the numbers were written on the board looking away from them, so that no one could see the results. Once everyone had drawn lots and the assistant had written everything down, the board was turned around and everyone looked around to check who they would fight.

Killua had to fight three random opponents that he hadn't noticed before. He quickly assessed them and found they were not strong. He sighed and put his hands in his pockets. He had expected to have a little of a challenge in at least one of his fights.

Hayuri stood next to Killua and saw that her first and third fights would be easy, but in her second fight she was against Hisoka.

"Damn!" she hissed and face palmed.

"Tough luck." Killua pointed out.

"I know. Well, I'll just surrender as soon as the fight against him starts. I'll win my first and third fight and pass anyways."

The first fight was between Hayuri against a lean man. He didn't seem strong, but she needed to keep her injured hand in check. They stood in front of each other and he seemed to feel lucky that he was against a girl. She smirked at that and, as soon as the referee started the fight, he sprinted towards her to punch her in the jaw, but she dodged and chopped the back of his head. He limply fell to the ground. She was announced as the winner of the fight and walked to the side with her arms crossed in front of her chest.

The next fights lasted longer, but not too long either. After an hour it was Killua's turn to fight a tall man that held two knives in each hand. When the fight started, before his opponent could even move, Killua kicked him so hard in the gut that he was thrown a good 6 meters back. He fell to the ground and laid there with ragged breathing. The poor guy was approached by the referee who announced that he gave up and needed medical attention, since he had a couple broken ribs.

"Oops." Killua scratched his nape and walked back to the side.

Another hour later, and after another handful of fights, it was Hayuri's turn to fight Hisoka. She stood in front of the wicked jester and, when the referee started the fight, she opened her mouth to surrender.

"Don't." Hisoka interrupted her holding his open palm next to his face. "I want to fight you. If you fight me now, I'll let you live. If you don't, I'll find you and kill you later."

Hayuri looked at the chairman with a raised eyebrow and expecting some kind of interference.

"Killing is not allowed during the exam, but what happens afterwards is not our business." He answered the silent question.

Hayuri cursed. If she was too injured, she wouldn't be able to win her next fight. But she couldn't win against Hisoka. She would have to try and attain as little damage as possible. She silently nodded at her opponent.

"Ahh ~~ I've been waiting for this. Too bad I didn't get to fight Killua, he's strong too." He said with a sickly sweet tone. "How's your arm? Not so good, right?"

"Terrible. It can break anytime now." She said truthfully knowing he'd already noticed her condition.

"Let me tell you what. If you fight with all that you have, I promise not to hurt it any further. I will benefit both of us; I'll have an opponent in better condition and you'll get out of this one with your arm intact."

Hayuri cursed and looked down at her arm. It was not as swollen as before, but she couldn't use it. She had no option but to oblige to his request. She would give her all in this fight, and maybe she'd be able to win her next one as well.

"All right." She said and raised her guard with her good arm.

Hisoka smirked and threw 10 cards her way, which she dodged while jumping towards him. While in the air, she opened her pouch and threw 6 daggers at him. He deflected them with his cards and immediately dodged her roundhouse kick at his side. Hisoka tried to elbow her in the ribcage, but she managed to move out of the way and jump back a few meters.

Hayuri didn't get to catch her breath. As soon as she looked up, he was in front of her and did a low roundhouse kick swiping her off her feet. She supported her weight with her good hand and attempted to do a back flip, but Hisoka grabbed her ankle and slammed her on the floor. Hayuri shifted her body just in time to avoid being injured against the floor and cushioned the impact with her upper back. She pulled her feet back with again and managed to free her ankle, and rolled a few times to gain distance. She stood up and saw that Hisoka was standing a couple meters away from her with his arms crossed.

She decided to take out a long blade that she kept inside her left combat boot and swirled it around in her hand. She jumped at him and attempted to kick his left thigh while trying to stab him on the right shoulder. He blocked her good hand and moved back, but didn't completely avoid her kick and she managed to push him back a little. Immediately after regaining her ground, she aimed an upward vertical kick to his chin, but he moved back and avoided it. While her leg still in the air, she lightly jumped forward and brought her leg down with full force, forcing him to protect his head with his right forearm. She hit his arm hard and attempted to stab him once again, but her arm was caught. She was pulled down and felt a strong kick connect to her upper back. She felt the air leave her lungs and her mind her hazy for a second, but immediately recovered and jumped away from Hisoka.

"Ahh.. you are strong. You've done decently enough considering that you haven't used one arm. I even feel like using my own weapon, I hope it's not too much for you." He said and Hayuri waited for a couple seconds, but he didn't seem to do anything.

Suddenly, and before she could process what was going on, her body was jolted forward head first by an invisible force towards Hisoka. She raised her good arm to guard her head, but widened her eyes in realization when he didn't punch her head, but her middle back. She gasped and moved her good arm to prevent crashing against the floor too hard. She breathed in sharply and moved her body to stand up.

"W-what the he-" before she could even finish her sentence, the same invisible force launched her upwards a good 5 meters. She frowned in confusion and widened her eyes in shock. When she was at the highest point, the same impulse pulled her downward at full speed. She focused her vision ahead and guarded her face while pointing her knife at her opponent. He suddenly smirked and raised a hand to grab her good arm. He destroyed her guard in instantly pulling her arm downwards and increasing her falling speed. His other hand turned into a fist and connected with the side of her head with incredible force. If Hisoka hadn't been holding her arm she would've been pushed back a good couple meters back. He had his arm stretched upwards while holding her good arm and forcing her on a standing position. Honestly, if he hadn't she would be lying on the floor by now.

He lowered his hand until she was sitting on the floor, released her and walked a couple steps back. She tried to stand, but felt dizzy and knew she couldn't continue. Her eyesight grew hazy and the pain in her head didn't allow her to think clearly. She was about to announce that she yielded, but he beat her to it.

"I surrender." He said with a smirk. "I guess it was a little too much for you at this point in your training, Hayuri-chan. I want you to become a hunter a get stronger, we'll fight again another time."

She wanted to say that she wasn't looking forward to it, but her vision went black and she dropped to the ground unconscious.

Hisoka turned his head to look at Killua while staff members held her up by both arms and took her away. He smirked and pointed at him.

"I also want to fight you, Killua-chan. I'll also look forward to it, so get stronger." He said and walked away.

Killua frowned and averted his eyes. He didn't want to associate with this psychopath, not at all, not even to answer to his suggestion. He had to wait at least 30 minutes to his next fight and didn't want to see the jester for now, so he left the main room to walk around for a while. Somehow, his feet took him to the infirmary, so he decided make the trip worthwhile and check on Hayuri. He quietly opened the door and saw a couple participants lying on stretchers, who turned to him with curiosity. Hayuri was also laying on a stretcher the furthest corner, but she was unconscious and the whole left side of her face was swollen. It appeared that it would turn into an ugly bruise. Right behind him entered somebody else, and Killua turned his head to look at him. It was a doctor.

"She probably won't wake up for another 6 hours at the very least." He said walking next to her and taking out the implements necessary to tend to her. "That impact was strong, but fortunately it didn't cause much harm; it'll only bruise and force her to rest for a day or two. You don't need to be worried."

"I'm not. I was just curious." He scoffed and hid his hands in his pockets. The doctor shrugged and Killua walked out of the infirmary. Of course he wasn't worried; why would he? He brushed the thoughts about the subject away and walked back to the main room, where the fights were taking place.

On his second fight, Killua was against a thin man with big brown eyes and red hair. He seemed to be as young as he was, but was nowhere near as strong as he was. As soon as the fight started, the man launched an attack at him and tried to kick him in the gut. Killua dodged and chopped the man in the back of the head, effectively knocking him down. He sighed and walked to the side once again.

Amongst the next couple encounters, it was Hisoka's turn to fight other examinees and he honestly seemed bored at them. They were trembling like rabbits at the sight of him and forfeited as soon as they could. It was a smart decision; they would've probably been badly injured if they'd fought him.

Killua's last fight was against a middle aged man that surrendered before the fight even began. Killua face palmed and mumbled something about the hunter exam being too easy. He walked back to the side and sat down to watch the remaining fights. After another couple hours the hunter exam was officially over, with 12 out of 15 people passing.

AN: I've tried to make Killua act colder than in the show, since he's been an assassin for a longer time. I suppose this means that he has had more time to harden his heart and that he's focused on his goal (and thus not allowing him to take interest in other things, like doing something else or having friends). Even though I want him to be colder, I'm still trying to portrait his general character somehow.

I want to know what you think about Killuas actions and attitude in general. Is he too OOC? Is he alright? Thank you for reading!


	5. Somethings Missing

**AN: I edited the first part of chapter 1. So you might wanna take a look at it (I thought that revealing that information was too soon at the time).**

CHAPTER 5

Killua sat in the conference room in which the chairman was going to give them the orientation on being hunters. Hayuri was sitting next to him with half lidded eyes.

"Hey, baka." Killua elbowed her in the side. "Don't fall asleep."

"Hey, careful. I'm still sore." She frowned and rubbed her side. "Besides, being sleepy is not my fault, it's the painkillers."

"It's your fault for not being able to keep your guard up. What kind of fighter gets their guard so easily disabled?"

"Hey! I'm not weak! There was something else about Hisoka, which suddenly made him so much stronger. As soon as the orientation is over I'll call one of my mentors and ask about it."

That moment the chairman Netero entered the room and everybody shut up. He explained how the license worked and what benefits came with being a hunter. When the orientation was over, everybody got up to leave. When Killua stood up, Hayuri stopped him.

"Oi, Killua." She said standing up as well. "Let's exchange phone numbers."

"What?" He asked with a plain expression.

"Come on. We're both hunters now; there is no damage in keeping in touch with fellow workmates."

"Haaa..." he said and looked at Hayuri for a while, thinking how that wasn't exactly true, since he was an assassin and not a hunter. She opened her green eyes in expectation and smiled sheepishly. He sighed "Aaaaallllright."

"I feel tempted to write arrogant brat as your id." She smirked after they'd written down both their numbers. He scoffed, but softly smiled nonetheless. "So, Killua, maybe I'll you soon."

"Yeah, maybe." Killua said. If they met ever again, it would probably be the day she died. He held his hand for her to hold and smiled. "See you around."

"Will do." She stretched his hand and shook it a couple of times. She let go of his hand, threw her bag over her back and walked off towards the front door.

Killua watched her retreating form and picked his own stuff up. He then headed off to the airport, where he would get tickets to his next destination.

-time skip-

Killua stood in front of a traditional building with beautifully crafted details. The whole demeanor of the place screamed royalty and tradition. He entered and found a waiting room. He got a number and sat down to wait, since there were still 10 numbers to go. He sighed and stretched his legs.

The hunter exam had ended 7 days ago, and he had been more bored than he could ever remember. He had to travel 2 days to get to the place where he would apply to be a royal guard, which had not been too bad. But the days after that...what a drag! He sighed and combed his silver hair with his fingers. He wished that he had at least something to do during that time.

After a couple minutes it was his turn and he walked through a door to find himself in a long hallway. He walked to the furthest end and knocked on a steel door. The door opened and he came to a room that appeared to be soundproof. There was a lean and aloof looking middle aged man sitting behind a desk.

"Hello." Killua slightly bowed. "I'm here to apply as a royal guard."

"Of course you are.. tell me, are you a hunter?"

"I am." Killua said and held his license in front of him.

"And also, can you see something above me?" The man pointed towards the ceiling.

"What do you mean?" He looked around trying to find what the man meant.

"So, you don't know what I'm talking about."

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I do."

"Well, having a license isn't enough to call yourself a hunter. There's something you're still missing to have enough power." The man crossed his fingers under his chin and supported his head on his elbows.

"What is it?"

"You'll have to find out by yourself. Come back when you already have it."

Killua blinked a couple times and then put his license back into his pocket. He bowed slightly and left. He walked to a nearby park and sat under a tree.

The man said the same thing as Hisoka. He was missing something important, which would make him much stronger. When Hisoka had punched Hayuri in the arm, the force of it had been out of the ordinary. And he was supposed to have used only 5% of his capacity. Also, in the fight he had against Hayuri, her body had moved against her will, as if pulled by an invisible force. When he had asked her about it, she hadn't seemed to know what it was.

Killua decided to search on the internet about it, but the concept didn't even appear. He used his license to enter a navigation site for hunters only. The concept appeared in there and he even paid to find out about it, but all he found out was that it was a great source of power that could be used by pro hunters. So, in the end, he learned nothing new.

He thought about asking someone from his family, but he was supposed to do this on his own. It was his way of proving his father that he was capable of holding his own. He was allowed to make allies, but of course not ask for assistance wi5hin the family. He thought for a while. Actually, the only person outside his household that he could contact was Hayuri. He sighed and took out his phone. After a couple moments she picked up.

"Hello? Killua?"

"Hey, sorry for disturbing you."

"Not at all! Have you been calling for long? I was not around my phone until just a couple seconds ago."

"No, this is the first time I tried." He answered. "So, I'll be straightforward about this. I came to get a job with a hunter's license, but they said I wasn't ready. That I needed something else to be strong enough. I think the man that interviewed me was talking about the same this Hisoka was back at the exam. Do you have any idea what it might be about?"

"Well, as a matter of fact I do. I'm not supposed to tell anyone, but I myself was told by my mentor after the exam finished." She hummed on the other side of the line. "It would be unfair for me to find out easily and for you to not know at all."

"So, you'll tell me what it is."

"Yes. It's something called nen, but only few people in the world know about it. It's a technique that needs to be learned from a teacher. I've already been told about it, and it can be mortal if not taught the right way."

"So, I need to find a teacher for this."

"Yes."

"Well, damn. It's almost as bad as it was before. I know almost no one knows what it is and I only know its name."

"Hmm... let me tell you what. I currently have a teacher that took me in because my mentor knows used to know him. Maybe if I talk to him he can teach you as well."

"Really? You'd do that?" Killuas eyes widened with expectation.

"I have to ask him first. I'll call you sometime tomorrow to let you know."

"All right, thank you."

"No problem, bye." She said and hung up.

Killua put his phone back into his pocket and walked back to the hotel. If this didn't work out he had no clue how he would learn this nen thing.

Hayuri woke up at sunrise and stretched in her bed. She slowly came to a sitting position in her bed and rubbed her sore muscles. She couldn't remember being trained so harshly ever before. She took some clothes to dress herself. She had convinced her current teacher to take Killua in as well, by saying that he was stronger than her and that he was smart. Which he was. She had just omitted that he had a strong personality and was sometimes kind of a smartass. She hoped he didn't let his bad attitude get out of control and ruin his chance at learning nen.

When she was done getting dressed, she walked out into the hallway and into the kitchen to eat breakfast. After that, she had to clean up the wooden floors in the house, which would probably take her an hour. When she was done she would get a lesson as retribution for her hard work.

She was just sitting down on the chair to finally learn something when the bell rang. Her master raised an eyebrow.

"Well, Hayuri. It seems your friend has arrived already. Go get him."

"Hai." She said standing up and walked to front door. She opened up and Killua walked in with his hands in his pockets and a nonchalant expression.

"Yo."

"Killua" she whispered, but somehow her voice wasn't quiet at all. "Remember what I told you. Behave, ok?"

"Yeah, will do." He said taking his shoes off and then walked into the house. Hayuri followed him and was about to open her mouth when her master walked into the hallway.

Killua was faced with an older aged man that had brown hair and fair skin. He physically looked pretty regular, but did, in fact, provoke him a sense of danger.

"So, you must be Killua." He said examining him.

"Hai." Killua slightly bowed. "Thank you for taking me in."

"My name is Okume and I expect you to be as hardworking as Hayuri over there."

"I will work hard."

"So, let me get this straight." He raised a finger. "Hayuri already knows all the basic theory by now, since she arrived 4 days ago. You'll have to catch up in just today, so you'll be sitting with me today while she takes care of things around the house for the both of you."

"Haa..." Hayuri softly complained to herself and glared at Killua.

"Don't worry." Okume said to her. "It'll only be for today until he's caught up to you, then you'll both learn and work together."

"Hai..." said sighing. She turned around to walk away and do some chores while looking back over her shoulder. Before she reached the door, sensei looked away and Killua sent her and arrogant smirk. He mouthed thank you, with an obvious mocking intention. Hayuri felt a vein pop in her forehead and she turned back and walked out the door. She wondered why on earth she had actually offered to help him.

When the door closed Killua followed Okume into a room and sat down in front of a white board. He intently listened as he explained for a long while about what aura was and how aura lived inside every living thing. Auras connection to the food chain and ecological equilibrium. He talked about how aura disruptions could lead people into sickness or health and mentioned that it could also be manipulated at will. Killua perked up at this and was about to ask more, but sensei stood up and announced that it was lunch time.

Both walked into the dining hall and sat down at the table. The food was already served and Killua wondered if the man had servants as well, but his question was immediately answered when Hayuri came in with a last dish and settled it down on the table. He gave her a smug smirk and motioned for her to bow, mocking her into a sub servant position. When he took a bite he was surprised that the food was actually ok.

"So, I'll explain to you how things work in here." Okume started. "Breakfast is at 7 am. After that you'll do chores for an hour. When you're done, you'll train until noon sharp. Then, you'll have to prepare lunch, which will be served at 1.30 pm. When you're finished with the dishes you'll train again until 7 pm. Then you'll prepare dinner and eat. You can do whatever after that as long as you're on time for breakfast the next day."

"I will do my best, but I have to say that my cooking skills are next to none." Killua scratched his head.

"Well, you'll learn, listen to whatever Hayuri tells you, or do the dishes. I don't care how the two of you divide your work, as long as you both are working hard."

They ate their ration each while talking about martial arts and fighting techniques that they knew of. After they finished eating they went back to the whiteboard and continued with their lessons.

Okume explained about the four principles. Ten, the ability to control your aura and hold it in place, keeping it from leaving your body and putting your life in danger. Zetsu, the ability to completely stop the flow of your aura, which would conceal the user's presence and also allow him to pay more attention to his surroundings. Ren, in which the user forces a great amount of aura out of their body while preventing it from escaping, which allows defense. Finally, Hatsu, the release of aura, which works in a unique way, depending on individual characteristics.

After thoroughly explaining each of the principles, Okume praised Killua for his fast learning pace. Killua thanked his master and left with a bow. It had been a lot to take in, especially in just one day. Thankfully, Killua had not only received thorough training physically speaking; he had also extensively learned theory and academics, so it had not been too much for him. It was already past sunset, which meant he had to go grab something to eat and go to sleep. He entered the dining room to find Hayuri sitting there and having a salad. He sat down and put some food in his plate.

"How come you act like such a gentleman around him? You're an ass around everybody else!" Hayuri complained while furrowing his brow.

"Why?" He said while chewing into his food. "I owe him for teaching me; of course I'll be respectful. Besides, he is my sensei now. I'm not stupid; I can be polite when I have to."

"Tss... whatever." She rolled her eyes "how was your first day? What do you think?"

"Of course there is great power in this. I can now see that there is an abysm between a nen user and a regular person."

"Yes." Hayuri nodded. "Hisoka always was on a completely different league."

"He still is." Killua added. "Maybe now we've closed the gap a bit, but I have the feeling that he has great experience."

"It'll take time before any of us is at his level."

"Well, I don't intend to meet him ever again. You can do whatever." He shrugged. He quickly finished his food and Hayuri showed him to the room he would be using. He entered and bid her goodnight. He got to bed soon and closed his eyes. His mind was instantly filled with thoughts about his father, grandfather and brother. It seems that he finally understood the reason of the difference in their powers. He wondered why no one had told him about nen before and frowned. After a while of trying to figure it out to no avail, he finally drifted to sleep.

The next day, Killua and Hayuri sat together in front of Okume. They had already finished cleaning every window and were eager to start learning.

"So, Hayuri, Killua." He said looking at his students. "Remember how I told you that meditation was the key to mastering ten, the first principle in the road to nen?" He received nods. "Well, that is the traditional way of training nen, through which just being able to release your aura might take you over half a year."

"Half a year?" Killua almost jumped out of his seat, he didn't have that much time to loose.

"That is a long time…" Hayuri scratched the back of her head.

"There is also another way to open your nodes that takes only a minute, but you could die. I usually only teach nen through the traditional way, but I have enough experience to know that you're both strong. So I'm going to try something in between for you. It won't take a minute, but it also won't take half a year. If my assumptions are correct, you should be able to mold your aura in a couple days. A week tops."

"Really?" Hayuri widened her eyes a bit.

"Yes. It's a process in which I put my aura into your nodes to open them, but it's a slow process. Every day you'll receive some of my aura and meditate to strengthen your Ten and keep your aura in place. We'll start now. But your backs to me."

"Hai!" Both Killua and Hayuri turned around and faced their backs to Okume. He walked to them and put his hands on Hayuris shoulders first.

"I'll pour some of my aura into you now. As I do, I want you to close your eyes and feel the flow of life energy through you. When you feel it I want you to concentrate on keeping it around your body." He said and Hayuri nodded. She closed her eyes and concentrated on finding the aura around her body; suddenly her eyes widened. She actually felt as if surrounded by a warm jelly like substance.

Killua smirked as soon as he felt the aura around him as well. He then concentrated on trying to keep it in place. It was hard, but after a couple seconds the energy around him was gone. He opened his eyes.

"Well, how did it go?" Okume asked.

"I have no more of that aura left." Killua shrugged. "I think I managed to slow down the rate at which it escaped my body, but when it did, I was already out of aura."

"Same over here." Hayuri said.

"Well, that doesn't sound bad at all. Let me tell you what. Every day until you have mastered Ten the schedule will be the following. Four times a day I'll push my aura into your nodes and you'll repeat the task you just did. The rest of the time, I want you to meditate and get a feel on holding your aura together. Become used to the sensation, so that when you push my aura into you, it'll be easier to keep it in place."

"Hai!"

Both Killua and Hayuri did what Okume had instructed them, every day after finishing their chores. The third day they agreed with their sensei that they had already a better hold on their aura and that it took almost over an hour to disappear. Therefore, Okume decided to push more aura into their bodies, which allowed their nodes to open up for a longer period of time.

The fourth day, and thanks to the increased amount of aura pushed into their bodies, Killua and Hayuri had managed to keep the aura around their bodies for the whole night. They still had a hold on their auras in the morning, so Okume assumed that they were ready to get their nodes fully opened. He repeated the process of pouring his aura into their shoulder, but this time the amount of energy going into their bodies was 10 times stronger.

Both their eyes widened at the sudden force and they closed their eyes to concentrate. Almost immediately, both of them managed to hold the aura around them in place.

"Well, it appears my technique worked just fine." Okume smirked and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "You're both using Ten skillfully enough to move on to the next principle."

AN: Thank you for reading!


	6. Nen basics

CHAPTER 6

Killua and Hayuri had been training with Okume for almost two weeks, and they were both progressing at a fast rate. Killua was glad that he had made the decision to join Hayuri in her training, except at a certain time of the day. Every time they had to work in the kitchen she would take the chance to boss him around. He knew she did it as payback for all the times he was an ass, but he couldn't help it. He didn't have TV, videogames, or anything remotely fun in this place. So he did what he had to do to keep his mind entertained during their free time; piss her off. He would've tried a different way to pass his little free time, but he didn't know how. He wasn't used to be around people to do anything but work or train.

Usually, all Killua did was hand her ingredients and turn the food. He crouched in order to reach out for the flour in the back of the cabinet. As soon as he stood up he was faced with Hayuri's open palm. She motioned for him to hand the ingredient over to her.

"Come on, I don't have all day." She said while putting one hand on her hip and looking at the nails of her other hand. She was being as bossy as usual.

"Hayuri." Killua came to an upright position and smirked. "I think that after spending so much time with you, I've actually rubbed some of my awesomeness on you."

Hayuri rolled her eyes and turned her head to face Killua, a smart comeback ready in her tongue. However, before she had the chance to open her mouth, she felt a hand rub her cheek.

"Look, over here." Killua said still holding his hand in her cheek.

"W-what?" Hayuri stammered and blushed a little bit.

"Even your skin has started changing colors." Killua smirked and took his hand back; it was covered in flour.

"Hey!" Hayuri immediately forgot her previous shy demeanor and lifted her hand to remove the flour on her skin, but before she could do so, Killua beat her to it.

"Look, over there too." Killua then rubbed her forearm and then her shoulder. "And here."

"Aghhhhh". Hayuri held his wrists firmly and a struggle between the two of them began. Killua was trying to put some more flour in her face while she tried to keep his hands off her. "Bakaaa... don't touch me in the face!"

"Well, I don't want to have people see me around someone like you. So I must do my best to hide your face away, even if just a little." Killua said. He suddenly applied more force and managed to actually wipe his hands on her face and hair. She let go of his wrists and stumbled a couple steps back. Her brown hair was a mess and many of her bangs were now covered in flour. Her brown skin also was stained with white, with her face being almost completely white instead of light brown.

"Nope, sorry. It appears there's no way to improve how you look. Even beautiful silver hair and fair skin like mine can't do the trick." Killua chuckled.

"Well, I have to say that your so called assets need some improvement as well." She smirked while sinking her hand into the bag and then throwing a handful of flour into Killuas face. He coughed when the powder hit his face and closed his eyes tightly to avoid having some of it enter them. When he opened them he moved to dodge her palm that now was covered in flour as well, but she still managed to tint his blue shirt.

"Aren't you a cocky one?" he said with a mischievous look in his eyes.

Before any of them could think about what they were doing, they had both engaged in a flour fight. Soon, they were both covered in white and laughing their asses off, while dodging and throwing all around. Sadly, their childish game didn't last long. Suddenly the door to the kitchen was harshly opened.

"What is the meaning of this?" Okume stood under the doorframe with a stern face. Even though he didn't raise his voice, they knew there would be hell to pay.

"Err..." Hayuri stood firmly while shaking off as much powder off of her as possible. She made a low bow which was replicated by Killua and she apologized. "We got carried away. Please forgive us!"

"You should know that there are people out there that don't have anything to eat" he scolded. "I don't want you throwing my food away."

"We're sorry, we really are." Killua said still bowing.

"That's not good enough. As a punishment you won't get anything to eat until tomorrow at dinner. It may show you to take food more seriously."

"Hai." Both answered simultaneously.

"Now clean this mess up and finish preparing dinner. And remember! You don't get one bite out of it."

When Okume was gone Hayuri turned to look at Killua and pointed at him with her index finger.

"I'm holding you responsible for this." She said while slightly frowning.

"Why?" Killua raised his open hands in front of him. "I barely stained your face with it. You were the one who started throwing it around recklessly."

"Well, it was you who started fooling around with it in the first place. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have to starve until tomorrow."

"Well, it's not a long time, just one day. Besides, where would the fun be in always behaving?" Killua said with a devilish smirk.

"Well… I guess it was fun, wasn't it?" Hayuri smiled and started cleaning the table, with Killua following her lead. "The last time I remember acting like a child was when my parents were still alive."

"What do you mean? You act like a child all the time." Killua half joked. "Didn't you have any friends after that?"

"Well, there were other children living on the streets as well, but we didn't really play. We supported each other to survive but it was not a carefree period of my life. In fact I would've never even thought about wasting food like this. After I was taken in I had no more time for playing, since I had to focus on training and helping them out on jobs. Also, I was the only child around" she said looking out of the window and then turned look at Killua. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Are you used to having fun like this?"

"Not really." Killua mumbled. _I have never had a friend before._

"I knew it." She smiled and Killua raised an eyebrow at her. "I mean, it took me 10 years of harsh training with no time for fun to become this strong. You're stronger than I am and also more schooled and literate than me, so you probably had little time as well."

"Haa, so you actually admit my superiority." Killua smirked while averting his eyes, swiftly changing the subject.

"I have never admitted such a thing." Hayuri smirked. By now, she had realized that the albino was not comfortable talking about his background. "I'll catch up in no time."

"I want to see you try." He smirked and walked over to the oven. "Come on, let's finish this meal already."

When they did they had to sit with Okume while he ate his dinner. They tried to keep their eyes away from the food to avoid feeling so much hunger, but sadly the dish smelled delicious. When they finally went to bed Hayuri was cursing under her breath and she swore she wouldn't fuck up like this again.

The next day they had to endure the same treatment during breakfast, which had their stomachs grumbling all morning. Training their Ten and their Zetsu like that was hard, since their minds would tend to concentrate on their empty bellies. When lunch came, both felt like eating whatever was put in front of them. Thankfully, their sensei realized and allowed them to sit outside in the open while he ate.

"Damn." Hayuri rubbed her aching belly sitting in the wooden garden bench for a while. "It's been a long time since I was this hungry."

"I've never been this hungry before." Killua scratched his head wondering why he was never trained to endure hunger.

"Of course not! You're a rich kid, Killua." She pointed at him and raised an eyebrow. "I must say though, that you look paler than usual. I didn't even think that it was possible."

"Well, whatever." Killua shrugged. Somehow, he didn't feel the need to argue as he usually did. Maybe, he had found a way to keep a conversation without being rude. Maybe he was just too hungry.

"Yeah." Hayuri said and then leaned towards Killua and whispered. "I actually don't regret playing with our food, but don't let sensei know about it!"

"Of course not. You're a kid."

"Well, you can't blame me; you know I had my childhood stripped from me at an early age. If my parents had been around until later on I certainly would've had time to have fun and make friends. I would probably be more mature by now… well. Maybe it would be the opposite, who knows."

"Who knows." Killua mumbled and wondered what his life would've been like if he hadn't been born in a family of assassins. Having friends, joking around, going to school, playing sports, dating a girl, going on vacation with his family. Even though it seemed foreign to him, it was somehow appealing nonetheless. There was in him some sort of yearning for that kind of things that common people relished, things that had to do with simple emotions and enjoying life. Both of which he had never really a change to really experience. They stayed silent for a while until Hayuri spoke up.

"Hey, are you all right?"

"Nothing, I was just thinking about something stupid." Killua said with his eyes hidden under his bangs. He took a deep breath and looked up to her. "Come on, let's get things cleaned up."

Hayuri realized that he had been thinking about something that had affected him. She wondered if it had to do with the issue of having friends that they'd been talking about earlier. She wanted to ask what was wrong with him, but simply followed when she stood up and walked back to the kitchen. They did the dishes and cleaned the place up, after which they went back to working on their Zetsu. The method they had been using was practiced in pairs; they would suppress their own aura, which would enhance their ability to sense other auras around them. They had to keep on working on their Zetsu until the other one couldn't sense their presence at all. This afternoon, even though they were starving, they somehow managed to completely suppress their aura. They wondered if it was a mistake they made due to lack of concentration on both their sides, so they talked to Okume about it and he instructed them to do their Zetsu.

"Ahhhh.. so it did work." He said and the two of them immediately opened their eyes. "I thought that not eating would help you out."

"Haaaah?" Killua and Hayuri exclaimed.

"Zetsu is the act of suppressing your aura. Also, while fasting for more than 18 hours, the body begins a process in which all energy is projected inwards. I thought the biological process might have some influence on the flow of your aura. Apparently it did."

Both Killua and Hayuri widened their eyes. In a way, that did make sense, but Hayuri wondered if it was just a coincidence and he was just bluffing. They agreed and making a feast that night as a celebration for mastering Zetsu and completing their punishment.

So Killua and Hayuri cooked double as much as they usually did and they used the best ingredients. Hayuri didn't say it aloud, but Killua had actually learned how to cook at and impressive rate.

She didn't want to admit it because, even though she thought of herself as sort of smart, she could see that Killua was truly a genius. Whenever some interesting topic came up, he would always know the most unbelievable facts about it. Whenever a puzzling fact came into the news, Killua would always find a connection to some political figure or make it fit into a historical theory or whatever. Seeing him do all that made her feel kind of ignorant and stupid, even though she knew her smarts were above average. A part of her admired him and another part was slightly discouraged. She said she would catch up to him in no time, well, she didn't really think so. While for 10 years she was only physically trained, while he was thoroughly instructed on diverse topics apart from having physical training. And he apparently excelled in all of them.

Besides, she had never been lazy in her training ever since she was picked up from the streets. The last couple months on the streets had been hell for her, so she was more thankful to them than anyone would ever know. They gave her a place to belong, they fed her, they trained her and they gave her a purpose. She was indebted to them for life, so she always did her best.

While learning Nen, she was also doing her best and working hard. But even though she did, she struggled to keep up to Killuas pace in learning. Every night when everyone was asleep, she would get up and practice in the garden for a couple more hours. During the day she tried her best, she never relaxed, while she saw Killua trying just a little and easily getting a hold of things. Sometimes she felt like it was no use to try so hard and that she should just let geniuses like him become masters.

She wondered if it was something that he inherited from one of his parents, who could be some sort of genius, or if it was something that was taught to him, an expectation he had to fulfill as part of an important family.

She knew that the many unanswered questions she had about him would be answered if he talked about his background. But anytime she brought up the topic, he would tense up slightly and answer in monosyllables. There was clearly something about his family that made him uncomfortable or that he didn't want people to know. She was curious about it, but she didn't want to press him into telling her, especially since they had just met a month ago and were not close. Firstly, he probably would just tell her to mind her own business, and secondly, she wanted him to tell her out of his own accord.

Before having dinner, Hayuri came to the conclusion that it wouldn't be healthy to beat herself up so much for not being as good as Killua and it would solve nothing. So she decided to enjoy the rest of the evening and have fun with Killua and Okume-sensei.

After eating that night Hayuri went straight to bed with a full belly and a smile on her face. She didn't do any extra training this time and allowed herself a good night's rest. The next morning she woke up feeling refreshed and happily walked down the corridor, where she met Killua. He appeared to have just taken a shower, since his hair was wet and his skin appeared to be a redder shade than usual.

"Good morning!" She chirped happily and turned to enter the dining room. Killua came back a couple minutes later to find her eagerly munching on a sandwich. He sat down in front of her and couldn't help be surprised at her positive demeanor.

"Why are you so cheerful?"

"Do i need a reason?" She smiled and talked while still chewing on her food.

"I mean, did something happen last night?" He served himself a cup of tea. "I didn't hear you going out to the garden."

Hayuri stopped chewing and widened her eyes. Slowly, a tint of red covered her cheeks and her cheerfulness was replaced by embarrassment.

"Y-you knew?"

"Haaa? Of course I did, you're as loud as an elephant." Killua rolled his eyes and playfully smirked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She slapped her palm on the table and leaned forwards.

"I think I was pretty clear."

"I'm not loud!" She pointed at him. "You're bluffing."

"I'm not. I even hear you say 'yatta' when you seem to get a hold of something that was giving you trouble."

Hayuris eyes widened, not because he was telling the truth, but because he had actually heard that. Every time she managed to do something hard she would whisper that word to herself. But it was just a whisper, how come Killua could even hear her out? His room was at least 6 meters away from that place and he always kept his door closed at night. She gasped in realization.

"No way!" She, again, pointed an accusing finger at him. "You're stalking me!"

"What? I'm not!" Killua fumed. "Why would I even do that? I just have really good hearing!"

Hayuri narrowed her eyes at him. Could he even have that much of a good hearing? She doubted that, it seemed almost inhuman.

"I'll keep an eye on you." She said while gulping her tea up and standing up. "I'm going to find Okume-sensei."

She left the room leaving an annoyed Killua behind. He quickly finished his breakfast in a couple seconds and stood up following her.

"Stalking?" He mumbled."Tch. As if! Baaaka."

He finally entered the room and sat down next to Hayuri, who gave him a weary look. He sighed and looked up at Okume, who was starting the lesson.

"Ok, now that you have already mastered ten and Zetsu, well move to the next phase: Ren. You remember the theory I taught you about it?"

"Hai." Both answered.

"Good. The way in which you'll train your Ren is by expanding your aura as much as you can without releasing it. The aura flows within your body, so you have to force it out in order for it to become available for use. I want you to try now."

Both nodded and closed their eyes. Not a second after, both had managed to release their Ren.

"Good, I want you to train until you can keep for 30 minutes." He said standing up and leaving the room.

Killua and Hayuri trained their Ren as instructed every day. They slowly but steadily started to increase the amount of time they could hold it. Hayuri trained every night in order to keep up with Killuas pace. She tried to sense him watching her, but since every time she got into Zetsu mode and tried to sense him, he would appear to be in his room. She was slightly unsettled by the thought of him keeping an eye on her. She was too honest, and couldn't keep a straight face when in his presence. She knew that he was well aware of how troubled she felt, but neither had talked about it.

Finally, on the afternoon of the fifth day, both managed to keep their Ren for half an hour.

"Well, congratulations." Okume said grinning. "You have finally completed your basic Nen training. Take a good rest today, because tomorrow we'll start with the advanced training." He said and turned to leave.

As soon as he was out of sight, Hayuri stood up and left to room in a not so well disguised hurried manner. She didn't want to spend time alone with him and yes, she knew she was overreacting. She had been too bothered by her thoughts on Killua stalking her and couldn't help being over concerned. However, as soon as she took a couple steps out in the hallway she felt a hand grab her forearm firmly.

"Baka." Killua said, making her turn around to face him.

"W-What?" she said fidgeting in her place and avoiding looking him into the eye.

"Why are you avoiding me?" he said. "You're acting as if I'm sick in the head, it upsets me."

"I'm not!" she said and felt heat build in her cheeks.

"I know what you're thinking. I truly have great hearing and I am most definitely not stalking you." He said letting go of her arm and turned around to walk away "I'll prove it."

Hayuri observed him with a raised eyebrow. When he was a couple meters away, he entered a random room and closed the door behind him. "Whisper something to me!" He screamed from behind the door.

Hayuri raised an eyebrow and whispered. "Freak."

"Hey." Killua popped his head out of the room. "You are the freak here, baaaka."

"Haa!?" Hayuris eyes widened. "You could hear me from there?!"

"I told you, I have especially sharp ears." He sighed and walked towards her. When he was in front of her he roughly poked her on the forehead. "Besides, who would want to stalk you?"

"What!" Hayuri widened her eyes. "Baka, of course you wouldn't, since you are a stuck ass lazy jerk."

"Well, maybe I am." He shrugged and looked back at her. "Why did you over react so much these past days?"

"I-it's no important!" Hayuri said hurriedly and turned around motioning for him to follow her. "Anyways, let's go get a well-deserved rest on the garden before we have to go do our chores. No that I know the truth we can finally sit together in peace. Well… sort of."

Killua watched her retreating form and followed her. It did not go unnoticed to him that, when he asked her about her actions, she tensed up and her aura spiked a bit. Whatever the reason there was for her to act that way, it was anything but unimportant.


	7. Advanced training

CHAPTER 7

"All right." Okume stood in front of Killua and Hayuri. "Now we'll learn advanced nen techniques. The first one will be Gyo, which you already know of. If you focus your aura in your eyes you should be able to see the aura of things and people around you. Go ahead and try."

Hayuri and Killua did try what he said. After a while, both had managed to see the aura around them for a while.

"Now, every time I raise my eyebrows like this" he excessively did as he said. "You will both use gyo and find where in my body I'm focusing my aura."

He raised his eyebrows and Killua and Hayuri immediately did and searched for his aura.

"Your forehead." Both said simultaneously.

"Good. This will not only prepare you to always use Gyo when facing an enemy, but also to quickly asses him and see where he is using aura. This will allow you to anticipate an attack." He lifted a finger. "You'll have to use Gyo as I said. If you fail to answer within one second, you'll have to do 200 back squats and 100 pushups."

"Hai." Killua and Hayuri answered simultaneously. Okume raised his eyebrows as much as before and both focused their auras in their eyes. Soon they could see where his aura was focused.

"Left shoulder!" Killua answered.

"Left shoulder." Hayuri answered just a second later.

"Right, but this took you over 5 seconds. You'd be dead by now." Okume-sensei crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Now do your penalty."

Both nodded and did as they had to.

"Now, I want you to do this together. Sit facing each other." They did as instructed. "Good, now listen. I want you to count to three, then focus your aura somewhere in your body and use Gyo at the same time. It will take you some time to manage to do both in sync, but you'll need to do so later on. The one person who last sees where their partner's aura is, will have to do the same punishment as you just did. However, both of you must find the other person's aura, even if you're last."

Both nodded and began their training. After the whole day had passed Hayuri swore she didn't remember her arms and legs hurting so much ever before. Not only was she kind of tired because she had to use her aura in a way that required lots of concentration, but she also had lost every time. She wasn't too far behind from Killua, but if he took 5 seconds, she took 7. She was always dead last, and by the end of the day she was worn out. They took off to the kitchen to do their chores as usual and Hayuri hoped that her body would last long enough.

"Hey." Killua said from the doorway. Hayuri simply looked up, too tired to say anything. "Why don't you just sit there and tell me what to do. You'll probably make a mess out of something if you cook in that state."

Hayuri widened her eyes a bit. "Ok. Thank you."

"It's nothing." Killua mumbled almost imperceptibly. So she simply gave him advice about how to do the dish they were supposed to prepare, he was skilled enough to do it by himself by now anyways. While he worked she couldn't help but think he was sort of like a kid sometimes. When Killua offered to help and allow her to rest, he had been looking to the ground and there had been a faint blush on his cheeks. Also, he tried to make it sound as if he wasn't actually helping her, when it was clear in his expression that he was. So, she had learned something knew about him today; he was actually shy while taking care of someone else. She smiled to herself.

After dinner, they both went to bed. Hayuri was exhausted, but realized that she couldn't keep this up. If she had to endure this for more days, she would definitely collapse. So she decided to work on her Gyo out in the garden for a couple hours before sleeping. When she felt she had somehow improved, she went to sleep.

The next day, Hayuri started winning against Killua. She was grateful that she could rest her aching limbs a bit and that she had somehow surpassed him (not really, since she did more training than he did). Sadly, her bliss lasted only for two hours, when he caught up to her. After another ten or fifteen minutes, he was winning already. So, she had to do pushups and back squats for three quarters of their training time. She tried to guess how many she did, and the number didn't appear to be lower than 10000 back squats and 5000 push ups. Even though Okume-sensei was not present, training was hell for her. At the end of the day, she was almost as tired as the day before. She was brooding in her thoughts about doing more chores when Killua spoke up.

"It was worth the try." He said.

"What was?" she questioned.

"You're late training. It you hadn't done that the gap between us would be bigger. Also, if you hadn't, I wouln't have had the chance to do some workout and push myself. So it was a good for both of us that you did."

"Haa…"Hayuri looked down and wiped the sweat off her forehead. "It's easy for you to say, when you don't have to work hard at all. It all seems to come naturally to you. I don't even feel like exerting myself like this again tonight; I'll be just as slow tomorrow."

"Don't say that. You're not slow at all. You are pretty good and shouldn't compare yourself to other people. Just focus on where you are now and how much you can give to improve." He smiled. "Keep up the good work."

Hayuri looked surprised and was about to answer when he stood up.

"Now, come on. Let's go do our chores. Don't think I will be doing all your stuff once again." He said and left.

Killua wondered why he had said that to her. It's true that when she won against him in the morning it was a nice change to do some workout, but that kind of thing didn't really mean much training to him. Now that he actually thought about it, it was natural to try and help your training partner become stronger. If she was stronger, it would help him finish his nen training sooner and, therefore, continue with his mission sooner. It made sense to him, so he just accepted that answer and entered the kitchen.

When they started preparing the vegetables, the rice and the meat, he made sure to do to most heavy work himself and allow her the easiest tasks. They finished preparing and sat down with their sensei to eat up. They told him about their progress; they didn't need over 5 seconds to activate Gyo now, but only 3 or 4 seconds. He said that he was impressed with how fast they had learned, and encouraged to keep doing their best.

When they were finished, they took the dirty dishes back to the kitchen and she washed up, while he dried them and put them away. While doing so he realized something; when he helped her, he kept on remembering about the day she had carried him uphill for almost 9 hours. It seemed that he was not only helping her because it would be of use to him, but because he, somehow, was feeling the need to return the favor.

It was a strange thing for him to do, since he had never been considerate with anyone except his sister. He wondered what changed his usual course of action, but didn't ponder on it for long. After all, it didn't matter what his intentions were, it was still useful to him to help her out right now.

When he was lying in bed, he felt her get out of her room and go to the garden to train, as usual. He smiled and his eyes softened a little. She didn't know it, but he kind of admired how much dedication she put into training. Of course, he had been through a much more rigorous training before, but he had never done it out of his own accord. It had always been a sense of duty and obligation or to not anger his father and brother. He had never felt an inner drive to work hard. On the other hand, Hayuri, even though not being as good as he was, always tried her best. He could see the determination shining in her eyes when she trained. He wondered if he would ever feel like that.

The next three days training went the same way; the first couple hours Hayuri would get the upper hand thanks to her late night training, but Killua would always win at the end of the day. At the end of the third day, they were both equally pinpointing the others aura. It also appreared to be in less than one second. So they found Okume sensei and showed him what they could do now. He smiled and congratulated them for mastering Gyo. He recommended, from now on, to individually train their Ten every day for half and hour, their Ren for half an hour, and they Gyo for a couple minutes. He also allowed breakfast to start one hour later so that they could work on their basics before they learned the new stuff.

The next day they gathered in the garden area and not in the spare room as usual. Okume-sensei seemed to have a different kind of training in mind.

"So, from now on we'll be training the advanced techniques in nen." Okume pointed out. "First of all, you'll learn how to extend your aura to an object; this technique is called Shu. As I told you before, this will allow you to learn to control your aura better and also, it can help you make a weapon of almost any object. For example." He picked a thin stick from the ground and lifted it. "This stick is now a deadly weapon." He walked over to a stone and pushed the stick into the surface. The stick remained intact and the stone broke into a couple pieces.

Killua widened his eyes. That was what Hisoke did with his cards, wasn't it? It seemed like a pretty handy technique to use, especially around people who couldn't use nen.

"Now, I want both of you to take a stick and break it so that it has a sharp end. Then, embed it with your aura and go chop some firewood for storage with it. I want you to make 100 small sized chunks with only one stick. If it breaks you have to start over again." He said, pointing to the back of the extensive garden where many dying trees were located.

Both walked to the back and picked a stick. He broke it in two and made sure that the edges were sharp. Killua closed his eyes and imagined his aura surrounding the stick. When he opened them and used gyo, to see he had nailed it. He smirked, this seemed kind of easy to him.

He walked to a dead tree and used the stick to cut the tree down. It worked easily and he started chopping the trunk into smaller pieces, using it as a knife. When he was around number 30, his stick broke. He cursed and started once again. Maybe it wasn't as easy to protect the stick with enough aura so that it didn't break.

Hayuri was having as much trouble as Killua. On her first try she had managed to cut 26 chunks when her stick broke. She tried many times and each time she managed to cut a couple more chunks. At the end of the day, both had already cut over 500 chunks each, and were now nearing 80 pieces per stick. The next day at noon Killua managed to cut the 100 pieces, with Hayuri doing so an hour later. They picked the firewood they had cut and took it to the wood shelf in the storage room. When they were ready they stepped outside and Hayuri wiped the sweat off her temples, noticing how the days were starting to get too hot. They had been trining inside for the last month, so she hadn't realized the change of season.

"Now Okume-sensei has enough wood to last a couple of years at least." Killua pointed out. "Not that he's going to need it now."

"Yeah, it's getting hotter." She said while walking under the shade of the young tree that still stood in place. "I hope we don't have to do much training outside."

As soon as they sat down when lunch was ready Okume sensei clapped his hands together.

"Good!" he said before even taking a bite. "Now come the more interesting training. This one will involve the two of you doing hand to hand combat and applying the concepts that I'll be teaching you from now on."

"Does that mean…" Killua started.

"That we'll be training outside under to scorching sun?!" Hayuri exclaimed and made a defeated expression.

"Of course. You won't be doing any hand to hand combat in my house until you break it down." He pointed out. "Also, I don't want you to ruin my garden. So you won't be training here either and we'll be going out to that hill for training." He pointed out to a nearby hill. "It'll take us around 10 minutes to get there if we run, and it'll also serve as a warm up. From now on, lunch will be prepared in the mornings before we leave and we'll eat it there, so that we don't waste time."

"Hai." Both Killua and Hayuri said in unison.

"Now, since tomorrow you'll start fighting, I want you to take a good rest for what's left of the day. You won't get another free afternoon until I'm done teaching you, so make the most of it!"

"Hai!"

Hayuri decided to listen to her sensei, so she was currently taking a hot bath. She relaxed her body and supported her head on the edge of the tub. She was actually a little concerned about fighting, since she knew that he was stronger than she was. She wasn't used to meeting people that could beat her. Only a couple of members of the place she was taken into were strong – even stronger than Killua – but didn't really fight her as equals. They had only trained her, so she hadn't really tested her abilities against a stronger opponent. Well, apart from Hisoka, of course, who hadn't really fought her with all his strength and managed to beat the crap out of her despite of that.

Also, Killua had seen her fighting before, but she hadn't seen him do anything besides knock out a couple weak candidates back in the hunter exam. She sighed. Well, at least fighting him like that would prove to be a good training. After soaking for almost an hour, she got out, dried herself up and left the bathroom. When she walked out to the exterior hallway she found Killua sitting on the edge of the floor slab with his feet hanging down towards the garden. She walked to him and sat down beside him. He seemed to notice her presence, but didn't say anything as he observed the trees. They sat in comfortable silence for a while until a couple birds started flying against each other in the air.

"Did you know that the male individuals of that kind of bird actually fight for territory?" Hayuri pointed out. "In most species, fights are for female attention, but this one actually developed this kind of behaviour. Maybe it's due to the fact that they are native to an area that has scarce vegetation and water. When they fight in the air it seems as though they dancing, since they're trying to push each other out of the area. Even though it's a conduct developed due to hardship, it's beautiful. It's almost like they're dancing, don't you think?"

"Really? I thought it was some kind of mating dance." Killua said without looking away. "It does look like they're trying to do so, doesn't it?"

"Not to me. But maybe I'm not a good reference view, since I'm too used to observing birds and wild animals. All I see in there is a fierce fight for territory." She shrugged.

"Well, it shouldn't be something to be surprised about. You must be pissing your pants by now."

"What?!" Hayuri sharply turned her head to look at Killua.

"I still can't make a decision about tomorrow." He said and turned his head towards her. There was a dirty smirk in his face and his eyes were filled with amusement. "I don't know if I should either beat the crap out of you or simply knock you around for fun."

"Take that back!" Hayuri felt a vein pop in her head. "You _are_ stronger than I am, but don't think too highly of yourself. I'm only a little behind you, so you better not lower your guard. Bastard."

"Yeah, right."Killua said with his usual smug smirk. Hayuri must have made a funny face, because he intertwined his fingers on his nape and threw his head back. He started laughing. Loudly. He was mocking her and Hayuri knew that would've normally felt anger. But, somehow, seeing him laugh like _that_ for the first time, shocked her too much to react at his teasing. When she met him, he had seemed incapable of laughing like that, and her assumptions had proved to be right for the whole month that they had trained together. Seeing him wiping the tears out of the corner of his eyes and sighing in contempt, made a warm feeling appear in her chest.

"We'll see about that." She said in defiance, but a warm smile adorned her features.


	8. Hide and seek

AN: SlightlyYandereMelissa, thank you for saying that. I was wondering if this story was too bad for anyone to post a revies. LOL.

CHAPTER 8

Killua wondered how come the old man had been so much faster than him when running to the hill. He expected him to be fast, maybe a little faster than him, but there had been a considerable gap in their speeds. He had only seen two people faster than him; his father and Illumi. Even Hisoka was probably as fast as he was, just much stronger. It came as a shock that this old man, that could well be ten feet under the ground by now, was as fast as his father. Killua wondered if he had unrealistic expectations about his family or if Okume was amongst the strongest people out there. He watched him walk over to a big flat stone that lay under a tree on the edge of a forest. He sat down and, when he had seemed to find a comfortable position, he started explaining.

"The next technique we're going to learn in ken. As you might remember, ken is the ability to strengthen your aura to the point that it builds a barrier for aura enhanced attacks. The problem is that it requires great amount of aura, so it will drain you greatly if used recklessly. I recommend using this technique when you don't know where the attack will be directed from. First of all, I want you to mold you aura in a way that it resembles a shell around your body. You can imagine it any way you like as long as it does the trick."

Both Hayuri and Killua concentrated and managed to do as instructed after a couple of seconds.

"Good, that's enough." Okume sensei said and both stopped. "Just like with shu, the difficulty is not hardening your aura, but being able to do it while in combat and knowing when to use it. So, for the rest of the day, I want you to fight each other while hiding. You'll have to use zetsu to hide until you find an opening and then use shu. Use shu to make whatever you find around you into a weapon and throw it at your opponent. Use ken to protect your body from the hit. Do not aim at any vital point, since your opponent might not do ken fast enough, and a nen enhanced attack can be mortal. You may also engage into some hand to hand combat, but remember that the goal is to use ken when faced with a surprise attack, so don't overdo it. I'll be watching you train." He finished and sat down.

Okume crossed his arms and leaned back into the tree. Hayuri and Killua looked at each other defiantly.

"So, Hayuri." Killua began. "Ready to get your ass kicked?"

"Get on with it." Hayuri smirked. "We'll start at the count of three. One, two, three!"

Both jumped up into the forest to find a weapon and ambush the other one. Hayuri quickly found a couple stones and twigs and she put them into her pouch. She immediately closed her and went into zetsu mode. She tried to sense Killuas presence, but couldn't find him. That could mean two things; he either was too far away, or was already hiding. She assumed the second scenario and hid behind a tree to lower his chances at attacking from behind.

She suddenly felt a spike of aura at 5 o clock, and immediately went into ken. She felt a couple rocks hit her side while she turned to the source of aura. She saw Killua aiming a kick to her lower back just in time to avoid it. She jumped back a couple steps and then aimed a punch to his jaw, which he deflected and grabbed her arm to throw her to a tree. Instead of crashing, Hayuri twisted her body in the air and placed her feet on the trunk. She pushed herself upwards and landed on a thick tree branch.

She could see Killua running through the forest ground, so she jumped from branch to branch following him while doing Zetsu. Suddenly she realized there was an opening and threw a couple rocks with shu at him. He built this defense as well and the rocks fell down. She came right behind aiming a punch to his shoulder. The punch connected and she felt her eyes widen in surprise. However, as soon as she did, she felt him knee her in the stomach and punch her on her side. She stumbled a couple meter back and retreated once again. She had landed a hit on him, but she had been too soft on him and done almost no damage. Instead, he managed to land two strong attacks on her. He had probably decided to take the hit in order to have an opening.

Killua jumped from behind one tree to another. He was watching Hayuri hide behind a tree as well, while holding her belly and side. He wasn't comfortable hitting her with that much force, but didn't want to go easy on her as well. This training would be productive for both of them only if they gave their all. He took out some more rocks and jumped to the side to aim at her. She built her defense again and moved to kick his face. This time she was much faster and he felt the kick connect to his jaw. He was pushed a couple meters back and jumped back to the trees to retreat.

After that they seemed to be more leveled; Killua assumed she had started taking the spar seriously. This went on for the whole day; one of them would launch a surprise attack with shu, the other one would build his ken and dodge or block a hand to hand attack. Sometimes a hit would connect, but most of the time they got away unscratched.

By the end of the day, Hayuri and Killua were too tired to properly defend themselves. Also, they had trouble controlling how much force they used when attacking. They had both received a strong hit each, which had probably already bruised in an ugly way. When it finally was time to go home, both could barely stand on their own. Doing hand to hand combat and using such an exerting nen technique every 5 minutes for the whole day had taken its toll on them. Okume said that he would go ahead and prepare dinner for them, seeing how worn out they were. When he left, Killua and Hayuri slowly, slowly, made their way home. Now that they were no longer under the trees, the heat of the sun was hitting them directly. So, now they were not only tired and beaten, but also starting to sweat like pigs.

Almost an hour later, they entered the house and were immediately welcomed by the delicious of food in the air. When they got to the dining room, they found that Okume had already served dinner.

"Oh? You're already done. Just in time. Take a seat already." He sat down himself.

"Hai!" Both immediately answered, sat down and took a bite.

"Ahhhhh.. sensei!" Hayuris eyes shone in delight. "This is delicious!"

"Yeah." Killua added. "This dish beats every recipe Hayuris knows. Not that it comes as a surprise..."

Hayuri sent a small glare at Killua and turned to Okume once again. "What's this dish called? How is it prepared?"

"It's called rokudesu and, no, I cannot tell you how to prepare it." Okume answered and put his hands on his lap. "It was a secret family recipe that my wife used to make."

"Wife?" Killuas eyes widened.

"Yes, she died 10 years ago." He said and his eyes saddened a bit. He told them that he and his wife used to be pro hunters. They were one of the best for a long time. They even found time to work as hunters when they decided they wanted to build a family. They had two daughters and would take turns to watch over them and go on missions. On one of those, Okume had been out working when their girls were 2 and 5 years old. When he came back, he found that his home had been broken into and that his family was dead. They had all been murdered. It came as a shock to him that his wife, being as strong as she was, had actually been killed. He was too sad and confused to think straight, but after some time he understood. While working as hunters, they had made lots of enemies, who were mostly strong nen users. One of them must've wanted them to pay, so they attacked while he was away. Of course, his wife having to watch out for two small kids wasn't able to properly fight and defend the three of them. He spent some time crazed with revenge, but, when he finally found and killed the culprit, he didn't find peace. He was lost for some time and drowned his sorrow in alcohol, but life started putting students in his way. So, in the end, he decided to live a simple life away from the world of hunters and become a nen teacher. Okume said he would never forget his family and that a part of him had been lost forever that day, but that even though he had managed to find peace.

When they finished dinner, Killua and Hayuri were a little taken aback by their sensei's story. Both of them were engrossed in their own thoughts while they washed the dishes and spoke only if necessary. After putting everything away, both walked out to the garden and sat down for a while, observing the night wildlife that was starting to roam around.

"It's amazing." Hayuri said while looking up to the sky.

"What is?"

"How Okume sensei managed to rebuild his life and move on after something like that. If you look at him and talk to him, you would never guess that he went through something like that. It's like, even though he's been through so much, he radiates so much peace and patience around himself."

"Well… he's an old man. What he told us must've happened at least 30 years ago." Killua said. "He's had plenty of time for recovering."

"I don't know. When I lived on the streets, most of the adults in our condition had been through something like that. And they had been stuck for decades." Hayuri sighed and looked down to the ground. "I wonder how sensei managed to find peace."

"Well, he said it, didn't he? He started teaching again. It was probably that, which gave him a purpose in life again." He pointed out and Hayuris eyes widened. She turned to look at him with a surprised face and Killua frowned. "What?"

"You're not as clueless as you seem. I thought you had issues concerning emotions and stuff."

"I don't have issues. I'm just not open with my feelings, unlike most people, who go around telling personal stuff to anybody."

"Well, I don't know about that. I can't say for sure right now." She shrugged. "And you're right. Purpose was what probably brought him out of his previous situation. It helped me out too, you know? When I was picked up from the streets, focusing on getting stronger and repaying my debt was my anchor. It helped me move on and create a new life. Do you have a purpose?"

"See? That's what I mean. You go around divulging something like that without a second thought."

"You're not just anybody." Hayuri answered bluntly and Killua made a shocked expression. "We've known each other for over a month by now. We've spent a lot of time together. We're certainly not strangers, don't you agree?"

"Maybe." Killua said averting his eyes and blushing a bit.

Hayuri chuckled at his shy behavior and they stayed in comfortable silence, and she closed her eyes to hear to sounds of the garden more clearly. She didn't expect him to say anything, but after a couple minutes, Killua turned his head away from her and spoke up.

"My father." He said in a low voice. "I've always wanted to make my father proud of me."

Hayuris opened her eyes and looked at him. She couldn't see his face, since he was facing away from her, but she could tell it was hard for him to tell someone about that. She smiled and looked in front of her once again.

"Is he not already?" she asked, wondering aloud. "Shouldn't he be already?"

"He always expects more of me." Killua said with a discouraged expression and looked back at Hayuri.

"Really? How is that even possible? I think you are amazing." She said and warmly smiled at him. " **I** am proud of you."

Killuas breath was caught in his throat. It had taken a serious amount of courage to tell her about something so personal. He had been struggling with the decision, but had finally decided to just let it flow for once and open up to her. After all, they were not strangers, just like she had said. They were allies, right? Acquaintances and training partners. They had fun together and he was able to lower his guard around her. Surely there was nothing wrong in saying something like that. So, in the end, he just did.

But this kind of answer, this he hadn't expected. No one had ever said something like that to him, not even close to that. All he ever got from his family was demands of working harder. All he got from his butlers was a sense of distance and a strong wall made of respect. All he got from his victims was cries of help and mercy. Having someone smiling at him like Hayuri had and saying what she had said, was something he had secretly yearned for even since he could remember. He had been so shocked and absorbed in his thoughts, that he didn't notice her voice until she shook his arm.

"Oiii." She said and he shook his head to clear if up from his thoughts. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah." Killua said. "I'm just sleepy. I think I'm going to bed. G'night."

Killua stood up and walked to his room in a hurried manner. He closed the door behind him and exhaled in relief. He couldn't help but allow a sheepish toothy grin form on his lips.

-time skip –

Killua had been feeling differently when in the presence of Hayuri after the conversation they'd had after the first sparring day. On one hand, he felt like she was someone he could maybe trust, while on the other hand, he felt apprehensive about letting her closer than she already was.

So he had decided to not do anything for the time being, and see how things evolved. They had been sparring using kou and shu for a week and, during that times, he had no trouble keeping his emotional distance. However, by now they were no longer exhausted when they finished training and so, to their dismay, they started doing their nightly chores once again. When they did their chores, it was much more difficult for him to keep his distance, since they were used to speaking to each other while doing so. He didn't want to talk to her too much, but at the same time, he didn't want her to stop talking to him. He really was a mess.

Hayuri, at the same time, had noticed his slight change of behavior. She had realized the moment the words left her lips, that it had been a little too much to say. But she hadn't lied, it was the truth; she thought he was amazing. She had to accept, though, that it startled her how much only that sentence had affected him, even more if she took into account that he seemed used to hide his feelings. Hayuri wondered if he had ever received praise or kind words ever before or is something had happened for him to react that way. Seeing how he now appeared to be unsure around her, she decided to just let him have some space to work things out on his own. She would simply act the way she usually did.

Apparently she was right in choosing patience, because he slowly became carefree around her once again. He started talking more, and responding to her jokes once again (even if it may have been in his usual teasing manner). She was pretty happy with that, since she had really missed their conversations out in the garden. In her eyes, he seems a bit more open to her than he used to be.

Killua, on the other hand, had been questioning things about how he had always assumed he was supposed to act. Seeing Hayuri work hard but, at the same time, not beat herself up for making mistakes or sometimes doing as she pleased, set some kind of example for him. If she could enjoy some of the things life had to offer, if she could simply accept her faults, why couldn't he?

His brother had always repeated how important it was for an assassin to keep himself in check all the time. Was it really necessary to stay away from other people? His job was being an assassin and killing the target was the only aim. As long as he successfully completed the job that was assigned to him, is shouldn't matter. He could allow himself to relax and have fun with someone. He could talk about some things about himself, as long as they didn't endanger his mission. Right?


	9. Everyday house work

CHAPTER 9

Hayuri was running through narrow alleys, panting hard and sweating in distress. She took a turn and ran into another allay, that was just a dark and deserted as the previous one. Every couple steps she took, she would take a quick glance back. Every time she came to a crossroads, she would check on both her sides if anyone was there. Every passing second her chest tightened in anticipation and her trembling legs felt weaker. Her heartbeat was so erratic and so strong, that she swore that it echoed all around her for everyone to hear.

After what seemed like forever she saw the main street at the end of the alley. She felt relief wash over her at the prospect of being surrounded by a crowd, but as soon as she walked into the street her hope was crushed. The main commercial street looked empty. Completely empty. At midday.

 _What the hell? Where is everyone?_

Hayuri frantically looked for any sign of somebodies presence all around her, but found no one. It was almost like a stage setting for a play. Suddenly she remembered the reason of her ragged breathing and quickly turned around fully to look back into the alley. There was no one there. She frowned; was she only imagining things?

A sudden grunting behind her reached her ears and she jumped in shock while turning to the main street once again. Her breath was caught in her throat and her eyes widened in distress.

The street was filled with people once again, but they didn't seem to notice anybody around them. Every walking soul was so engrossed in themselves that they didn't even look up from the ground. In the middle of the street, right between the pedestrian congestion, was a little girl. She looked to be 10 years old and had beautiful blonde hair, round baby blue eyes and a pretty face. Hayuri immediately knew who she was.

"Ha-Hayuri…" when she croaked in pain Hayuri realized that she was kneeling on a pool of blood and her clothes were ragged. She was bleeding to death in the middle of the street, but no one even seems to mind her. The girl raised her hand to reach out to Hayuri. "He-Help… me…"

Hayuri shook her head, opened her eyes and took a step towards her. However, as soon as she did, she saw that there was somebody behind the girl. Her body froze and she started trembling in fear. Right behind the girl, and holding her by the shoulder was a tall man. He had black hair and shiny red eyes that looked down at her in a vicious way. His face had a dirty smirk plastered on it as he looked at her; challenging her. Hayuri stood there numbly for almost a minute, struggling in her mind, forcing herself to walk over to the girl and rip her away from the man's grasp. The man squeezed the girls shoulder and licked his lips. He then grabbed her wrist and started walking away from Hayuri and into the crowd, dragging the blond haired girl behind him.

Hayuri tightened her fists and opened her mouth to scream for help; surely anyone would listen if she did. She took a breath in and screamed; but no sound came out. She tried two and three more times, but to no avail. When she looked again, the man was gone, along with the blonde girl. She felt her body go into shock and her vision black out.

Hayuri jolted awake in her bed, sweat dripping from her temples and with a soaked shirt. She looked around to see that she was in her room at Okume sensei's house. She took a couple deep breaths to calm down and then looked at the watch on the nightstand. It was 5 am. She decided not to go back to sleep, since it would probably be a futile attempt, and also because she was supposed to wake up in an hour anyways. She took a shower, which really helped her relax, and got dressed into loose comfortable clothing. She walked out to the garden and started meditating.

Since Hayuri had been working on her Ten for a month and a half by now, it was almost like second nature to her. She could train her Ten while thinking about anything, or not thinking at all. This time around, the only thing she needed was to clear her thoughts and get some peace of mind. After almost an hour of training her Ten and meditating, she felt movement behind her.

She didn't need to open her eyes to know that it was Killua; she was already used to his presence and could detect his aura anywhere. He sat down next to her on the edge of the floor slab and she smiled lightly.

"Good morning." Her voice was soft and her face was serene.

"Morning." He answered while crossing his legs and adopting a meditation pose. He discretely looked at her for a moment and then closed his eyes. Both Killua and Hayuri trained their basics for an hour, as was morning routine for them. When they finished, both walked to the kitchen to prepare breakfast and a take away lunch for the three of them.

"Hey, are you alright?" He said while preparing tea and Hayuri looked up from her tasks with a questioning face. "I heard you scream before dawn and getting up."

"Oh. That." Hayuri said and went back to her duties. "It was nothing, just a nightmare."

"Ha…" Killua said and didn't press any further on the subject.

Both finished their chores and ate breakfast with their sensei. When they finished, the three of them ran to the hills to train, as usual. When they arrived, they sat down under an old tree to protect themselves from the already strong summer sun.

"I think your ken and shu training is good enough already. So now we're going to learn Ko, which is the use of nen to enhance a certain part of your body. This will allow you to either attack or protect yourselves from an attack. So now, please stand up and try to concentrate all of you aura in one part of your body. When you're done use Gyo."

Both did as he told them and held their hands up while molding their aura. When they used Gyo, both could immediately see where the other one had used Ko. Hayuri had used it on her right hand and Killua on his left forearm.

"Since when you trained your Gyo you worked on immediately pinpointing the location of the others aura, it will come as and habit to you now. This will lower the chances of getting a serious injury when sparring. However, you won't start sparring at full speed immediately. First you have to develop the reflexes on protecting your body from the nen enhanced attack. Hayuri, I want you to **slowly** aim a Ko enhanced punch at Killua. Killua, I want you to block the attack while protecting your body with Ko."

Both did as instructed and felt the force of the attack immediately; it was so strong that even lightly touching while using Ko pushed them back a couple steps.

"Now, try again while also focusing your aura on your feet at the same time." Okume-sensei said.

Hayuri aimed a punch at Killua, which he blocked with his forearm and, this time around, they easily stayed on their feet while doing so. Okume instructed them to keep working on that while sparring and slowly raise the speed as they were comfortable with it.

They sparred for the whole day and, at the end, they had noticeably improved their speed. Okume-sensei estimated that, at this pace, they would be able to fight at their regular speed in less than a week. Both Hayuri and Killua were enthusiastic about further improving this technique, since it was pretty entertaining. Also, since the use of nen was much lower than that of Ken, they were almost not tired at all. On the other hand, both were hurting a little on some parts of their bodies, since they still had to get a hold of adjusting the amount of aura used to protect themselves.

When they arrived at home and, while preparing dinner, Killua realized that they were really low on supplies. Okume-sensei said to buy them on a nearby town in the morning, since they were much cheaper in that market.

So the next day, both Killua and Hayuri set off with a bamboo grocery kart to the bus stop. There seemed to be a bunch ladies waiting for the same bus at they were, who kept looking at them and giggling and blushing. Killua rolled his eyes at them and sat on the furthest end of the bench.

When the bus arrived, they sat down and stayed in silence for a couple minutes. After a while, Killua overheard an old woman saying something about 'couples this days being modern and men doing as much housework as women'. He grunted.

"I feel like a goddamn housewife." Killua subtly glared at the ladies.

"Well. It can't be that bad, huh?" Hayuri said smiling brightly.

"I've never done this kind of stuff before." He further complained.

"Well, unless you pretend on being a rich ass boy for your whole life, you better get used to it." Hayuri pointed out. "I don't think there are any girls left who are willing to do the housework for you."

"Well, sadly for you, I don't pretend to die anything but rich." He answered out.

"And if somehow life manages to get you broke?"

"Then I'll have to find and older woman who's willing to do that for me." He shrugged.

"You know that it'll have to be much older, right? Like, a granny." Hayuri pointed out. She then smirked at him and indicated towards his hair. "It might not be too unsettling; you already have white hair, after all. It's just unsettling to think about you getting intimate with an old lady."

Hayuri shuddered at the thought with a frown on her face and Killua turned pale.

"Oh, I forgot about that."

"How could you forget about that?" she raised an eyebrow. "Are you even a grownup?"

"Shut up." Killua mumbled blushing and turned his head to look out of the window. He had never really considered a different kind of future than continuing with his family business. In that case, he would be rich, so he didn't need to worry about that. However, he would have to find a wife anyways. It just sounded like a drag. When he thought about wives, all that he could think about was his mother's whining. He had never really even thought about anything remotely **sexual** about getting married. Of course he had seen pornography before - it's not like he was asexual - , but the idea of marriage was something that seemed hideous to him. If he wasn't rich, he'd rather find another way to get his housework done. Suddenly he snapped his fingers and looked back at Hayuri. "I know what I'll do: I'll to the same as Okume-sensei. I'll be strong enough to train someone and I'll have them do that stuff for me."

Hayuri looked at him and frowned. Was he really that bothered by that kind of stuff? Sure, it was not fun doing it, but it was not that bad, was it?

"Why do you hate it so much?"

"Why?" Killua raised an eyebrow at her. "Well, of course it's because it makes me feel like an old lady."

"Is that so bad?" Hayuri tilted her head. "I don't think it's a bad thing. I don't particularly enjoy housework, but I don't dislike it either."

"Well, that's because you're a girl with brown skin. Maybe you've just assimilated that role due to the social circumstances." He pointed out. Hayuri's eyes widened in disbelief and she sharply turned to look at him. Killua had realized that what he said was rude at the very least. He wanted to apologize before hell broke loose, but she spoke first.

" **I have not.** " She hissed with a hostile expression on her face. "I don't think that being a woman and having brown skin means I'm supposed to do chores, while people like you sit on their ass."

Just as she finished talking the bus came to a halt at their stop. Hayuri stood up and got off the bus, being closely followed by Killua who was dragging the grocery kart behind him.

"Oii… Hayuri." He spoke and caught up to her. "I know it sounded hurtful, but I didn't mean it like that."

"Whatever." She grunted and didn't look at him while walking around the market. "Let's just get over with this."

Killua didn't say anything more as they walked around and bought flour, cereals, legumes and spices. When they finished, they walked back to the bus stop and sat on the bench waiting for their ride. They had been on the market for half an hour and Hayuri hadn't directed on word towards Killua. Honestly, it was driving him insane. He didn't want her to be angry over something that he hadn't meant in a hurtful way. When the bus arrived and they sat down next to eachother, Killua tried to initiate some kind of conversation. He pointed out some things about their training and some things about the scenery outside. But every time he spoke up, he would be blatantly ignores by Hayuri. He stayed silent until they got back to their town and got off the bus.

As soon as he got off, he saw her grabbing the kart and start walking towards the house. He was anxious - he didn't want to be on her bad side anymore - so he quickly caught up to her and took a hold of her hand.

"Wait." He said softly. "Please, let me explain."

This time, Hayuri turned to look at him. Her eyes were filled with hurt and Killua, for the first time, felt bad about saying something that hurt someone. She fully turned around to face him and Killua assumed that it was her way of saying that she would listen to him.

"Look, when I say that I didn't mean that I **thought** you were supposed to do that stuff. I really don't, that's why I don't expect you to work more than me while staying here at Okume-sensei's house. What I did mean was that, since it's culturally common that woman and brown skinned people do housework, it could have meant that you subconsciously would be less opposed to it. Ok? It's not what **I** think; it's just what has traditionally been normal. Sometimes people accept degrading treatment, because they have always seen it happen and assume it's normal. It's-"

"I get it." She interrupted him raising her hand. She then looked back at him with a smile and then averted her eyes back to the ground. "I didn't understand it that way and got angry without letting you explain further. I should've listened to you before. It's just that it would've not been the first time I got judged because of my gender and the color of my skin."

"Sorry." Killua apologized and smiled at her. "So, we're good now?"

"Yes, we are." She grabbed the grocery kart this time and motioned towards the house. "Let's go."

Killua felt relieved at this, he didn't want to be around someone that was mad at him. Also, even if he didn't spend time with her, the idea of them being on bad terms unsettled him a bit.

\- Timeskip -

Killua and Hayuri were back in the hills to train their Ko. Killua stood in front of her with a smug expression and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You know, I might make you pay for making me worry yesterday."

"HAAA!" she pointed at him while a tickmark appeared on her temple. "How dare you? I'll kick your ass and show you how to properly treat a woman!"

"Huh? A woman? Where?" Killua looked around until his eyes met her. "Oh! You mean that female like entity standing over there?"

"I think you need to see an oculist, since your sight isn't working right." Hayuri said and activated Gyo as she launched at him before he had the chance the make a comeback.

Hayuri aimed a hook at his jaw, which he avoided by leaning his body backwards until his hands rested on the flood. He then did a backflip and kicked her in the chin with his right foot, but she protected herself with Ko and then jumped a couple times backwards. Killua ran at her and did an uppercut again while trying to knee her on the gut. Hayuri realized his knee was covered in nen, so she protected her belly and deflected his fist with her forearm. Before he could try to attack again, she grabbed his nearest wrist and threw him over her shoulder. Killua recovered his footing immediately and blocked an elbow that she aimed at his ribs. She then tried to kick him on the knees and straight punch him in the shoulder. He realized she used nen on her leg, so he protected his thigh with nen while crouching a bit. At the same time, he grabbed her wrist and twisted her arm so that she had to turn her back to him. He then kicked her with Ko on her lower back, while she protected herself with Ken. When she regained her balance she jumped away and turned to him with a scowl.

"You shouldn't turn your back on an enemy, you know?" Killua smirked and pointed at her. "If I was an enemy, you'd be knocked down by now."

"I know!" Hayuri blushed. "I'll work harder."

She ran to the forested area on the hill, hid on top of a tree and decided to go into Zetsu, so she could feel her surroundings with more accuracy. She closed her eyes and felt Killua's presence to her right, who slowly got closer to her until he was just by the trunk of the tree she was hiding in. She took a quiet and deep breath in and silently dropped from the branch. Hayuri activated her Ko when she was just over him and he jolted in surprise. Killua knew he didn't have enough time to see where she'd attack and defend himself, so he used Ken to protect his whole body. Hayuri's kick came crashing down with full force on his shoulder and Killua was thrown to the ground with full force.

"Yayyy!" Hayuri cheered and made a wining pose, while Killua grunted on the floor. She had never really mocked him when managing such an effective attack, but this time she couldn't help it. After all, it was oh so very often the she managed to get an upper hand on anything against him; usually, she'd be the one getting a beating. "A point to Hayuri-chan, our female warrior. She has managed to kick the Abominable Snowman to the ground!"

"Oi, shut up." Killua growled and stood up. He had a pissed off expression on his face and put on a dirty smirk. "You'll see the real monster now."

And so, Hayuri learned two things that day.

The first one: Killua really was stronger than her. He usually probably used only 80 or 90 percent of his strength, while she used her 100 percent.

The second one: don't piss Killua off while training. Or do, and expect to get your ass kicked to the moon and back.


	10. Final Training

Elisablackcat: hahaha, yeah poor Hayuri xD however, Hayuri will get stronger, so don't worry. (not stronger than Killua tough, lol.)

ALSO, I made a pic of Killua and Hayuri… on deviantart penname kri90.

CHAPTER 10

Killua had been holding back just a little when sparring with Hayuri. Although she was not as strong as he was, she was pretty close and was a pretty good sparring partner. She was smart and always thought of new ways to challenge him. He was never one to hold back against anyone, but in this case he'd done it to keep her in relative good shape. If she got injured, who would he train with? Also, even if he didn't admit it aloud, he wasn't comfortable with hurting her. That's why, when he lost his temper and fought her with all he had, he regretted it afterwards. Even though there was not much difference between their abilities, that gap had been more than enough for her to get a good beating. After that, her performance on their routine had dropped slightly.

Normally, that would've pissed Killua off. But now, for some reason, he didn't really care about his training being slowed down. He found that he actually enjoyed sparring with her and the **real** reason for his training had almost been forgotten. Killua knew that he was supposed to work hard to finish his mission and not let stuff get in the way of that, but he just didn't have the heart to push her when she wasn't on top condition. Anyways, waiting for a couple of days wouldn't do any harm.

Hayuri, on her hand, wished she hadn't teased Killua while sparring, since he had seriously kicked her ass and she'd been training with a sore body -and ego - for a couple of days already. After that training session, neither had mentioned anything about it, but Killua had slowed down the pace of training - until she was better, she assumed. She was grateful for both things.

Finally, the third day after getting her ass olympically kicked, Hayuri finally woke up to find that she was feeling all right. However, her relief lasted only the first hour in the morning, while she trained her basics by herself. Okume seemed to take notice of this and, during breakfast, he announced that they'd start with the next advanced nen lesson.

"Today we'll be learning ryo." He said while sitting under his usual spot under a cherry tree and lifted two fingers. "You've learned ken, the ability to build a strong defensive shell around your body; you've learned ko, the ability to focus your aura on one part of your bodies for enhancement, which allows to either attack or defend. Ryo is some sort of mixture of both techniques. While fighting, you'll cover your whole body with nen for defense, but it'll be only 5% of what you used with ken. At the same time, you'll focus the rest of your aura on any certain part of your bodies to attack or protect yourselves from specific attacks." Okume-sensei put his hands down. "Now, I'd like you to try to cover yourselves in some aura while focusing the rest on some part of your body."

When both Killua and Hayuri got a hand of it, Okume instructed to start sparring in that manner. At the beginning, it was hard for them to balance both things simultaneously, while also using gyo. They slowly managed to raise their speed and made their activity look more like fighting than some sort of performance.

By the end of the day, both had each received one nen enhanced attack that they didn't properly defend. Hayuri had sustained a kick on the hip and Killua a punch on his mid back. Seeing that they would take long to get home, Okume went on ahead of them. While walking back to their sensei's house, Hayuri was having trouble walking due to her hurting hipbone. Killua noticed and wondered if he should carry her in his back, just like she had done in the exam. After all, they had already walked for 10 minutes and, at this slow pace, they would arrive in an hour.

"Hey, Hayuri." He stopped and pointed to her awkward manner of walking. "Maybe you should let me give you a ride. An injured training partner won't do me any good, you know?"

"No, thanks." Hayuri said, already used to his evasive way of offering help, and pointed at him. "I believe that your back is sore as well. If you carry me, I'll just hurt you more."

"That? It's nothing." He shrugged.

"Anyways, don't worry. I think that a couple blocks away we can take a cab. I brought some cash with me." She pointed to her pouch. Killua simply shrugged and kept on walking.

They kept walking for around 15 more minutes at a very slow pace until they got to a cab. From there it was just a 10 minute ride back to their sensei's house.

After paying, they entered the house and went straight to a spare room that held a first aid kit. They took an icepack each and sat down each on a corner of the single bed. First they each cleaned the small cuts they had attained and then they treated the swelling on their bruises. Hayuri had no trouble holding the icepack to her swollen hip, but Killua seemed to have some trouble, since his bruise was on his middle back and bending his body to reach out hurt his bruise. Hayuri stood up and walked to sit closer to him.

"Here." She said and let go of the icepack on her left hip, since it was on Killua's side. She then used her right hand to hold the pack to her left hip, and her left hand to hold Killua's pack over his bruised back. "I'll hold it for you."

Killua seemed to be grateful for a second, but the frowned and looked at her.

"Why do I always have to accept your help? You seem to reject mine most of the time." He pointed out. "You don't have to prove anything, you know?"

Hayuri's eyes widened. She had always been overly conscious about being a woman in a profession dominated by men. She didn't know Killua could see through her like that. She smiled softly and sighed.

"You're right. I have to rely on you more." She nodded and took a deep breath. "All right. Here, you can hold my icepack, my right arm hurts a bit and it gets worse if I have to cross it over like this."

Killua didn't say anything and simply held the icepack to her hip with his right hand. It was only a couple seconds later that both realized the compromising position they were in. They sat on a bed next to each other, Hayuris hand was on his middle back, and Killua's hand was on her hip. Killua thought that maybe shed get uncomfortable once again, since she had been pretty shaken when she thought he was stalking her. But she didn't, so he decided to say something about it and see if she told him what was wrong.

"Hey. I would've thought you'd be creeped out by this, just like when you thought I was some psycho." He said with a nonchalant face and not looking at her.

"Ahhh... no, now I'm not. That was different." She said looking at a shelf in front of her, which suddenly seemed very interesting to her.

"How was it different?"

"Well.. it was more about being followed or watched, specifically" she stopped for a while and blew a strand of hair out of her face. "It's a sensitive subject... you really want to know?" Hayuri asked a little unsure about it, since they had never spoken about their past to that extent before.

"Only if you want to tell me."

"Well..." Hayuri took a deep breath and sighed "Remember how I told you that my last month on the streets was hell? Something happened during that time."

Killua's eyes widened in shock and he sharply turned his head to look at her. Shed had a traumatic experience with some stalker while living on the streets? She didn't mean that...? She wouldn't have possibly been...?

"It's not what you think." Hayuri interrupted his thoughts while shaking her head and Killua released a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Well, more accurately, it was not me. When I lived on the streets, all us children stuck together for support. There were 3 girls in our group, and we really looked after each other. I don't know when it started, but suddenly I was aware that someone had been watching us for a couple days at the very least. Some time later I pinpointed the person that observed us; it was a grown up man with red eyes and black hair. I should've told them about it, but I didn't out of fear of being laughed at. One day, one of us girls didn't come back to the alley were we lived. We had always made sure to meet at the same time, so it was really strange. I also had a bad feeling, so I suggested we split up to find her. I was the one who found her." Hayuri stopped for a second before continuing. "She had been brutally raped and murdered. Her body was almost on shreds on a river bank... I could barely recognize her. Even though she was just 9, she was really pretty and that's probably why she was the one targeted. At first, I was so scared that I ran away and hid on a different place in the city, so that the man wouldn't find me. A couple days passed, and guilt was making me mad. I thought how I should've told them my suspicions. I thought that I was supposed to go out and find my other friend, tell her about it. Who the man was, how he looked like. But I didn't. I was too afraid for my own life. I kept hidden for almost two weeks, and when I finally built up the courage to go out and look for her, I didn't find her. For a whole month I tried to, but couldn't. I never knew if she left as well, or if she was caught too. That was when the contract hunters met me and offered to train me, to which of course I agreed... I was still afraid and was all alone then. I got stronger, but the guilt never really disappeared. Their dead faces still hunt me sometimes in my sleep."

"I'm sorry." Killua's eyes had softened beautifully as Hayuri told her story. She didn't remember ever seeing that kind of expression on him before.

"Yeah." She sadly smiled.

"That must've changed you greatly." Killua said. "I read somewhere that 'it's our scars that built our character' and I believe it to be true."

"Yeah. It definitely did." Hayuri nodded. "In fact, the purpose I have in life I greatly influenced by that event."

"What is it? Your purpose, you never told me what it was."

"After living through something like that, I promised that I would get strong and protect my friends. I would never abandon anybody dear to me ever again, no matter how afraid I was, not matter if I risked my life. If I loved that person enough, I wouldn't think twice about throwing my life away for their sake." Hayuri said with deep determination and some kind of strong fragility in her eyes. "I don't want to become the kind of person that leaves her loved ones behind to die."

"Remember how you said that you were proud of me the other day?" Killua looked in front of him, avoiding Hayuri's gaze. Slowly, a blush appeared on his cheeks as he spoke. "I think that you're the amazing one and the one to be proud of."

"You do?" Her eyes widened.

"Yeah. You may not be as quick in learning as I am, or as instructed as me. But you have a strong will and a mental clarity I don't possess. I am physically strong, but I have no idea what to do with my life and just do as I'm told."

"You will someday, I know it." Hayuri smiled and felt her eyes tear up a bit. She dropped the icepack on his shoulder and put both arms around Killua's neck to bring him closer in a hug. Killua tensed at the sudden action; he didn't remember ever being embraced before. After a couple seconds of inner struggle and awkwardness, he decided he couldn't push her away and, so, he simply hugged her back. Unexpectedly, after a couple seconds, he managed to let go of his stiffness and he actually kind of enjoyed the gesture.

Killua wondered... did he even have anyone he'd be willing to die for? He could think of anyone. Did he deeply care about anyone? Was there anyone meaningful in his life? A round face with big eyes and long black hair came to his mind. Alluka. Yeah, he sister did. She meant so much to him... but he hadn't seen her for so long...

"Agh..." Killua grunted and flinched back while holding his head in pain. Somehow, every time he started thinking about his little sister, he would be stopped by a sharp headache.

"Are you alright?" Hayuri said, making Killua open his eyes and look at her face.

"Y-yeah. My head just suddenly hurt, but I'm fine now."

"That's weird.." Hayuri frowned but seemed to dismiss her worries a second later "come on, Okume-sensei is waiting for dinner."

Hayuri said and left the room, being closely followed by Killua, who seemed troubled. The worried expression on his face didn't disappear until they got to the dining room and sat down to eat.

The next couple days, Hayuri and Killua trained their ryo until they were able to use all the nen techniques they'd learned in the same fight and with ease. Okume congratulated them for finishing with ryo and announced that they would now learn the last technique that they'd be directly learning from him. He said that after that, he'd guide them a bit in their individual abilities.

So, this next technique was en; the ability to expand their aura and feel everything within its reach. It was a slow process, but Okume said that it was totally worth it. Only few nen users dedicated enough time to en and, if properly learn, it was great advantage. Also, it was a technique to be trained individually, so both Killua and Hayuri had to spend most of the day in their room or out in the garden by themselves.

Hayuri was, on one hand, glad that they'd trained individually, since she could dedicate all the time she wanted to improving her en. On the other hand, she missed training alongside Killua, who she would only see during their meal times and while they did their chores. However when they did meet, they would talk more than usual and get updated on each others improvements. Despite that, it was their small talk and daily jokes that Hayuri missed the most. She never said anything though; she knew Killua was mostly way too shy talking about feelings and she didn't want to push him.

Killua, on his side, had a lot of time to himself, which he was grateful for. He had always enjoyed the peace and quiet of solitude and he had been constantly yearning for it. This time around, surprisingly, it was different. Even though he was still enjoying his alone time, he also sometimes wanted to speak to Hayuri. What about? He had no idea. Sometimes he would find himself thinking what would be a good excuse to just go and talk to her. Simply talking about any unimportant or ridiculous topic sounded good to him, but he had too strong a pride so he didn't go. However, this time by himself made Killua realize something surprising. If he once didn't like being around others, he now seemed to enjoy company. And that realization hit him hard, since it broke a paradigm about himself.

Killua had always been a solitary person; he had despised others and pushed them away. That was part of how he was raised, since it was a basic trait to being a good assassin. Of course, someone who was the opposite of that might have trouble killing for money. This worried him, since he felt like a whole new side of him was emerging; a side that enjoyed being around people, a side that sought to belong with others. He had already forced himself to bury that side of him once, during the hunter exam. He'd known that it was not a desirable trait for an assassin. But now, what worried him the most was that he didn't even feel like suppressing the feeling again. He liked this part of him and how it made him feel. He wanted to explore more about these social impulses that he was just getting to know. He wanted to feel what common people felt, even if it was just for a couple months.

It took them almost two weeks to reach a point in which they had developed their en enough. Killua managed to expand his en 3.6 meters and Hayuri 3.4 meters. Okume said that, that distance was longer than most peoples fighting range, so it could give them a trump card when fighting in the dark or in other blinding conditions. However, he said that they should keep on training until they could use it to find people on a vast amount of area and that he, for example, could cover 50 meters for 8 hours. He recommended that they added en training to their morning routine.

And so, the last part of their training began. Okume-sensei said that he would give them a head start on their Hatsu training.

"We'll now do the aura divination necessary for developing Hatsu. As you know, there are 6 kinds of nen. Enhancer, manipulator, emissor, conjurer, transmuter and specialist. To find out what kind you belong to, I've brought these glasses to do the water divination test." Okume said and pointed at two water filled glasses on the dining table. "I want you to pour your nen into the glass."

"I'll go first." Killua said and walked to a glass. He sat down and concentrated. He waited for almost 10 seconds, but nothing happened. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, you didn't. Taste the water." He answered and Killua did as he was told. As soon as he did, his eyes widened in realization. "It's sweeter! The water changed its flavor, didn't it?"

"Yes." Okume nodded. "That means you are a transmuter. Now, Hayuri."

"Haai." She answered and switched places with Killua. She put her hands around the glass and, after a couple seconds of pouring her nen into it, she leave started to slightly move around the surface of the water. She assumed that it was enough, so she pulled her hands back.

"Ahh, so you are a manipulator, Hayuri." Okume nodded. He then turned to look at Killua and pointed at him. "Transmuters have the ability to make their aura acquire the characteristics of other elements. It is usually used to create short to mid-range attack, but it's a pretty flexible type and can be used to create long range attacks as well. You should train your other abilities according to the way you develop your Hatsu." He said and Killua nodded, so Okume turned to look at Hayuri. "On the other hand, manipulation allows you to use your aura to manipulate living or inert things. This means that almost on every case it's used on long range attacks, maybe midrange. I only know a couple manipulators that use their ability for short range battle, so most of them complement hatsu with weapons or other nen type abilities. Also, both of you have to remember that your Hatsu should be a reflection of you innate abilities, experience and personality." Hayuri nodded and looked at the chart on the board.

The types of aura right next to hers were specialization and emission. Emission was also a long range type as well, so it wouldn't complement a manipulation technique. Specialization, on the other hand, had only 1% chance to be learned by materialization or manipulation. So it also seemed futile. She'd either had to find an ability that worked on short range fights or learn to use a compatible weapon. Also, what kind of nen would derive from her personality and experience? She sighed and decided that she'd have to put some more thought into it.

Killua, on the other hand, only a couple minutes later already had his mind working on a couple ideas of what kind of substance his aura could transmute into. He had a couple ideas in mind, but there was one that actually represented a unique ability of his and that also was part of his life experience. He smirked. _I think this is the one._


	11. Applying for the Job

CHAPTER 11

After getting some advice on how to develop their Hatsu, Killua and Hayuri were each given a book on their nen type. Okume sensei said that their training was over and that they should rest for what was left of the day and pack up. There would be a bus passing by the next day that they could take to the airport.

This news came as a shock to both Killua and Hayuri. Of course they knew they would have to leave one day, but they certainly didn't expect it to arrive so soon. They each retreated to their rooms and started packing up.

As Hayuri packed her belongings on her backpack, she thought about Killua. She would miss him, that was certain. They had spent every day together for the last 3 months and she had really grown fond of him. She wondered what he would do now. Would he train further? Would he work? Would he go home? She didn't even know what to do herself, since she had been told to come home when she already knew all about nen, and she still had to develop her Hatsu. Where would she do that? Also, she was penniless. Was there any way in which she could make a living while learning hatsu?

As soon as she finished putting her stuff away and cleaning her room up, she went out to the garden in hopes to find Killua. It was already late in the evening and she was hoping to get to talk to him one more time as they usually did. When she got outside, she realized that Killua was sitting there on the edge of the floor slab, his legs hanging down, the spot he always sat at when they talked. As soon as she closed the door and took a couple steps towards him he tilted his head sideways to look at her.

"Took you long enough." He complained. "How much stuff does a woman own anyway?"

"Well, Killua. I didn't know you were in such a hurry to meet me." She teased while sitting down next to him.

"Ah." Killua said while blushing slightly and looking away from her. It took her by surprise that he didn't deny the fact. Killua, on his hand, had already accepted that he enjoyed Hayuri's company and, thus, decided to hurry while packing to have some more time to share with her.

"You know, it's not like we won't see each other again. As I told you on the hunter exam, we're fellow hunters and we'll probably meet at least a couple of times." Hayuri smiled.

Killua didn't answer to that. He didn't want to lie to her, but he couldn't give a truthful answer, since it would blow his cover. He sighed and looked up and the trees in the garden, some of which were blooming. It was a strange view since it was the middle of the summer. However, she orange buds were really filling up the space and the wildlife seemed livelier around those trees.

"It was fun." Hayuri said after some time, as her eyes softly observed the garden.

"What was?"

"This. Being here. Training together with Okume sensei. Doing chores with you. Sitting out here and making some conversation, or saying nothing at all." She turned to look at him with a smug smirk. "In the end you were right. You really were the best company around."

"B-baka, stop that." Killua muttered while blushing and frowning down at her.

"Well, at least you're not the jackass you were when I met you."

"Haaaa." Killua straightened up at her teasing. "Maybe I am and you've just grown fond of the jerky me. Maybe you like rough and rude men."

"Hey, no way." She frowned. "I'm pretty sure that's not the case. Besides, I think it's the other way around."

"I like rough and rude girls?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Ahahaha! I don't know about that. I meant that you grew fond of me and stopped being a jerk and pushing me away." She smiled but then intently looked into his eyed. "Killua, you shouldn't do that."

"Do what?"

"Push people away. Yes, there are some downs to associating with people. But there's so much more to win when you're with others! Look at how much fun wave had."

"Well..." Killua sighed. "I guess you're right. I'm just kind of new to all this socializing stuff."

"I can tell. But you're all right and I know you'll make lots of friends if you want to." She pointed out.

"Yeah." He said looking at her. "At least one of us would. Because that bitchy kitchen attitude of yours won't get you any."

"What!" She jumped in her sitting position. "No way! It was just payback for you being an ass al, the time! You deserved it!"

"Maybe being in charge made your true colors shine through." Killua smirked "maybe you're actually an evil wench on the inside."

"Maybe I am, who knows!" Hayuri pointed at him with a smirk. "But at least you can cook now!""

"I told you already. Why would I want to know how to do that?" He shrugged.

"And I told you already. If you marry a young, beautiful, strong, independent woman, she probably won't take any of your stuck ass attitude. You'll have to know how to do stuff. Or marry a granny."

"First of all, I'll probably just pay someone else to do it." He said raising a finger and then a second one. He smirked. "Besides, you don't mean IF, you mean WHEN I marry a woman like that."

"Aren't you confident?" Hayuri rolled her eyes.

"Of course I am. Just take a look at me. Ain't I hot?" He motioned to himself in a teasing manner.

"Jeez, I don't know. Maybe I'm a lesbian." Hayuri said with a poker face.

"You are?" Killua looked surprised. "That would explain the unlady like attitude and the lack of table manners."

"I'm not!" Hayuri fumed. "And besides, that's a terrible stereotype! Not all lesbians are like that."

"No need to make a big deal out of this" He rolled his eyes.

"If I'd been a lesbian I would've probably felt insulted."

"You wouldn't, I know that you're not." Killua smirked.

"Really?" She blinked, curiously "how can you be so sure?"

"You leave a puddle of drool at your feet every time you see me shirtless." He said and his smirked widened, a mischievous glint shining in his eyes. "You're really obvious."

"Haaaaaaa, no way!" Hayuri complained while crossing her arms over her chest. "Why would anyone be attracted to someone with white hair?"

"I don't know. You should know."

"Baaka. I'm not into the old looking, jerky kind of guy."

"Oh, well. I think I might die of sadness at that fact." Killua said sarcastically.

"Well, I'll send flowers to your funeral."

"Send? You have to organize the whole thing!" He exaggeratedly gestured with his hands. "It would be your fault."

"If you gave me the money for your funeral, I'd probably dump your body somewhere and spend the money on clothing or something." Hayuri laughed a bit.

"Clothing?" Killua snorted. "You know you'd probably spend it all on food."

"Oh." Hayuri blinked and blushed, while scratching her nape. "You're right."

Killua was suddenly caught in a fit of laughter. When Hayuri complained about it, he laughed even louder. He laughed so hard that tears were streaming down his face. Hayuri was complaining, but there was a softness in her eyes that said she was having as much fun as he was. She didn't mind that she was creating more bullying material. Firstly, she probably wouldn't see him for a long time after tomorrow. Secondly, seeing him laugh like that had always made her day, so it was worth it. However, knowing they'd be parting soon, made the happy feeling more bittersweet. She sighed. She really was going to miss him.

The next day both woke up feeling refreshed and thanked their sensei for all that he'd done for them. As soon as the bus stopped at their street, both got on and sat together on the first row. They spent the two hour ride in comfortable silence, with some occasional comments or light teasing. When the bus reached the airport, Killua retrieved his bag and turned to look at Hayuri who stood in front of him with a frown.

"What's going on?" Killua asked.

"Well... I never really planned where I was going after leaving Okume-sensei's house." Hayuri sheepishly said while looking to the ground.

"Really? Do you even know **what** you want to do?"

"Well... I'm supposed to develop mi hatsu before going home and, also, I need to make some money. I'm nearly broke."

"Hmm... well... where I am going you can do both."

"Where are you going?" Hayuri asked and widened her eyes.

"I'll apply as a royal guard in Western Padokia. They train you for almost half a year and they only accept people who use nen, so I assume that it's some harsh nen training. Also, the pay is pretty good."

"Haaaaa." Hayuri eyes widened and she smiled. "That sounds perfect!"

"Well... maybe you could tag along. I mean, unless you have any other ideas." Killua scratched his head.

"Yeah, count me in." Hayuri smirked and gave him a thumb up. She was glad that she didn't have to part ways with him yet and they could have some more fun together.

"Ok, come on." Killua said and started walking inside. He hadn't told her that her best option was heavens arena and he knew exactly why. He didn't want her to leave and he had been feeling anxious about it all day long. Knowing that she was coming along with him brought a sense of ease.

So they entered the airport and bought tickets for the next airship flying to the capital of Western Padokia. It would take them a good three days to get there and the blimp would arrive in a couple hours. They aimlessly walked around and looked around at some souvenir stores, but didn't buy anything. At mid-day, they had a quick lunch and then took their ride.

Those three days in the air brought back memories from when they were at the hunter exam. It had only been 3 months ago, but it both agreed that it seemed much longer. They had managed to get to know each other much better and, also, they had rigorous nen training. During their time on the airship, both doubled the time they spent practicing their nen basics in the early morning. Also, they spent the afternoon figuring out individually how to work on their hatsu. They had decided that it would be ideal to start their training as bodyguards with at least one developed hatsu ability.

Killua had thought only for a while about what nen ability to develop. He thought for some time about what his individual traits were; he had plenty to pick. He had been trained to endure electric shocks, poison, pain and he had enhanced abilities on almost every aspect of fighting. In the end, he decided to use his resistance to electricity to his favor and transmute his aura into that element. It had been his chosen trait to base his technique on, because it would allow him to create both short and long range attacks. He had to jet try it on someone, but he assumed that it would be pretty effective, since he had been trained on torture and he knew how little untrained people could withstand it. He had immediately discarded trying it on Hayuri, since he could still remember the stinging and almost unbearable pain that he felt when he was still a child. In the end he decided to wait for a chance to use it on someone that kind of deserved it or that was in the way of his mission.

Hayuri, on her side, had decided to manipulate vital energy itself. She thought about it and decided that if she could, for example, temporarily stop the flow of aura in somebodies aura channels, it would probably restrain that person of using that part of their body. Also, she could maybe enhance her own speed and strength by manipulating her own aura channels. Through this, she would successfully defend herself and, at the same time, leave her opponent defenseless. At that moment, she would have to attack using another weapon. As Okume-sensei's book stated, manipulation usually needed a channel that connected the user to the body in question, leaving the user defenseless. But, since Hayuri wanted to be able to protect herself, she decided that her ability would have to work during just an instant. This second would be enough to create an opening, which she would take advantage of. However, since her ability had to be used quickly, it was no use to put up a connection item. She decided that she'd do the deed by lightly touching the area she wanted to stop the aura flow in. To do that, she could enhance her own movements by manipulating the flow of her own aura.

So, Hayuri had three things to work on. Firstly, she needed to learn how the aura paths on the body worked and learn to easily spot them with Gyo. Secondly, she had to learn how to use her aura on this channels quickly, which meant learn to effectively manipulate her own aura and somebody else. Finally, she had to further develop a weapon skill . She decided to use a short sword that she carried around. She convinced Killua to spar with her some time every day after they got off the airship. During their travel she read a book on some ancient healing art that she bought online; it was went exactly about life energy and its channels. She was sure that it talked about nen, since when she used Gyo and focused enough, she could distinguish the exact same channels that the book mentioned.

At the end of the trip, both Hayuri and Killua had developed their Hatsu techniques to some extent. Killua was now able to create some electric sparks, which were not that much, but would most definitely hurt an untrained person. Hayuri was now able to stop the flow of aura on a channel or enhance, but her current level allowed her only to slow down the movement.

When they got to the luxurious building where Killua had once been before, they had to wait for a while. After that, they were individually called in to see the manager. When they had been asked if there was anything they could see, both immediately used Gyo and recognized the hatsu drawing of that the man had created with nen. After that, they were required to use Ren, which they did, and both got accepted. However, the man had said 'I think it may suffice' and 'mm, this might be enough'. They were thankful for Okume-sensei's rigorous training on their basics, since if he hadn't forced such a regular basic training on them, maybe their Ren wouldn't have been good enough. However, they were told that, to officially start their training, they would have to pass one more test, which would be held in two days at a certain address.

So, both Killua and Hayuri went back to a hotel and checked in for two nights. They left their bags inside their rooms and left the building.

"So, where should we eat?" Killua asked with his hands in his pockets and walking with his typical nonchalant attitude.

"Hmmm.. I don't know. Maybe pasta?" Hayuri said and Killua shrugged, so they entered the first Italian restaurant they found. They asked for a table of two and sat down, immediately realizing that they were surrounded by couples. A waiter approached them soon.

"Good night. Here you have the menu." He said one to each. "We have a special offer today on a meal for two that includes main dish, salad, dessert and coffee or tea."

"I like it." Hayuri said while checking out the dished that were listed on the promo.

"Me too." Killua nodded in agreement.

"All right." The waiter wrote down a couple notes and then turned to Killua. "Sir, we have a discount on flowers if you want to buy some for your girlfriend."

"Haaa?" Killua jerked his head to look at him with a scowl and raised his voice a little. "She's **most definitely** not my girlfriend. So no, thank you."

"Killuaaaa." Hayuri said as soon as the waiter left. She was looking around with a slight blush on her face. "Damn you, you don't have to say something like that so loudly. Everyone's looking at us now. Jeez, you keep on embarrassing me all the time."

"Huh?" he said and glared at the surrounding couples, who immediately turned to mind their own business once again. "There you go. I don't know why you care about what those strangers think."

"It's not like I care what **they** think, but it's embarrassing to be treated like that. Please refrain from yelling out how undateable I am the next time, ok?" She said with a slight blush and frown on her face. She didn't know why, but hearing Killua say that aloud got to her more than it should've.

"All right." Killua said noticing that Hayuri had somehow been affected by the comment a bit. "I won't. I just don't see why make such a big deal out of this."

"Well, you have it easy. You're too handsome to even wonder if you're undateable."

"Haaaaaaaaaa. I'm too handsome?" Killua smirked, raised an eyebrow and leaned forward on the table, supporting his chin on his right hand.

"I didn't mean it like that!" Hayuri straightened up and put her hands in front of her in a defensive manner.

"We already know that you can't help but drool every time you see me." he leaned back and crossed his arms.

"I don't! And the fact that you're handsome, doesn't mean that I'm attracted to you, you know?" she said pointing an accusing finger at him.

"It doesn't?"

"Of course not! Attraction it much more complex than just looks."

"What else is there?" Killua asked with real curiosity.

"Haaa? Have you never been attracted to anyone before?"

"Haa, have you never been attracted to someone before?" Hayuri looked at him incredulously. "Well, whatever. Listen, being attracted to someone is more than just liking that person's looks. It's about the whole package; the way the person talks, the way they carry themselves, the eye contact, their interests... but most importantly their lersonality."

"Let's see. I'm handsome, confident, cool, fun to be around -that one according to you – and strong. So, taking into account what you said, probably everyone's attracted to me." He said lifting a finger with a playful smile.

"There's just no way to bring you down from your cloud, huh?" She rolled her eyes but smiled as well, knowing that the arrogant act was just for fun.

"What can I say, I'm just being objective." Killua leaned back and crossed his arms behind his head. That was when their order arrived, which made them realize how hungry they had been. Hayuri had ordered ravioli and Killua lasagna. So, during the rest of their meal they hardly talked as they gulped down their food.

After paying they headed back to the hotel in a comfortable silence with occasional comments about the most random stuff.

When they got there, they said good night and Hayuri entered her room. She closed the door behind her and leaned back while looking at her feet. Talking about Killua like that made her realize something that had been bugging her for a couple weeks already. She had pushed the thought away and managed to succeed until now. But now she had the vague feeling that she might feel a **little** bit attracted to Killua. He had, after all, every trait that he had pointed out earlier. Hayuri frowned and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

 _There is no way in hell I'm going to give that cocky jerk the pleasure of finding him attractive! I refuse!_


	12. Friends

CHAPTER 12

Killua ran at full speed through a dense forest as the moon barely illuminated his body, which was just a blur passing through the trees. His eyes were fixed ahead of him and his senses were sharply aware of his surroundings. He jumped a couple meter upwards and landed on a thick branch. He molded into the shadows as he went into zetsu and his presence seemed to disappear. He waited there a couple seconds until another figure entered the clearing. It was a brown haired older teen that was probably aiming for Killua's token.

The test to be accepted as a bodyguard trainee was to protect a token each and take somebody else's as well. It would test their abilities to protect and attack and enemy, which reminded Killua of the first phase of the hunter exam, where he had met Hayuri. Speaking of whom, he hadn't seen her since the test had started a couple hours ago. He had been hiding for now and, due to his assassin training, he had not been spotted at all. He was waiting for one of the candidates to lower his guard a bit to make a move.

He would have attacked on a straightforward manner if the situation had been different, but these examinees were almost as strong as he was. He was taught to only attack when there was a great chance of success - at least 70% - and so, he had to raise his chances by catching his opponent off guard. He knew his opponent would not give up easily, since the work as a royal bodyguard was not only well paid, even for a hunter, but allowed almost as many privileges as a noble. It was a job most people would kill for, and they only allowed only one try per applicant, so Killua was being extra careful.

Killua watched the brown haired young man walked right under his branch and he closed his eyes. His presence appeared to be that of an opponent not as strong as most people around him, so Killua decided to follow him and pay close attention. He didn't even need to leave his branch, because a piercing scream resounded through the forest. The poor teen didn't even know what had hit him, since, as soon as he looked back towards where the scream had come from, his vision went black. Killua had chopped him in the back of the head with a nen infused hand and hoped that it wouldn't be enough to kill him. Before the body hit the ground, Killua caught him soundlessly and crouched to lay him down on the leave covered ground. He quickly searched him for a token, which he hopefully still hadn't lost, and Killua put it away next to his own.

He quickly jumped up to a tree branch and closed his eyes in deep thought. He could have sworn that the scream he heard sounded like...

"Aghhh! Damn you, bastard!" The faint voice could be clearly heard as it cut through the dead silence of the clearing.

Killua widened his eyes as he recognized Hayuri's voice. He didn't even think about it, knowing that everyone was putting their life on the line in this place, and sprinted towards her voice jumping from one tree branch to another. Just a couple seconds later, when he had ran a hundred meters, he stopped in the shadow of a thick tree and, still in zetsu mode, he looked down to the ground. Just a couple meters away, there was Hayuri surrounded by three other applicants. He quickly assessed them; the three of them were almost as good as Hayuri, and they were unharmed. On the other hand, Hayuri had what a nasty injury on her left shoulder, which was profusely bleeding. On her right hand was a short blade, which made a poor attempt at keeping the other three at a safe distance. One of the men seemed to charge some nen into his fist, which he aimed at Hayuri's nose. She dodged leaning to the right and with her forearm blocked a nen kick to her ribs thrown by the second attacker. However, she wasn't fast enough to dodge or block a punch to the gut from the third guy and she grimaced and tried to use Ko as she watched his fist just a couple inches away from her. Suddenly, the third attacker was thrown off his feet and into a nearby tree, smashing it to pieces. Everyone turned around in surprise to be met with cold sapphire blue eyes and a pale skin that looked to be a ghostly white under the moon light.

"It doesn't seem nice ganging up on a girl in the middle of the night." Killua had appeared out of nowhere and stood with a plain face and a bored voice. He almost sounded to be uninterested in the whole situation, but his eyes spoke the hidden truth of his annoyance.

"Hey, it's not like that. We just want her token, so you just walk away and we'll forget about this." One of the men pointed at Hayuri and took a step towards Killua.

"Oh, sorry, no can do." He shrugged in response.

"Y-you bastard." An angry voice came from the pile of wood that now was the tree which had been destroyed by Killua's throw. The pissed man stood up and took a few steps towards the group of people. "I'll teach you not to meddle on other peoples affairs."

"Killua." Hayuri said locking eyes with him, and both silently agreed on watching each other's backs, so they turned to face away from each other. Killua nen kicked one of them in the chin, effectively sending him a couple steps back and then blocking a nen infused punch to his side with Ko. He elbowed the man on the ribs and grabbed his wrist as he tried to throw him over his shoulder. However, his attempt was ruined by a second hand that held his arms in place and forced him to release the other one. He managed to release himself and jumped a couple steps back. He had guesses it before; even fighting people with regular fighting techniques was hard if there was nen involved. He guessed that even he could've been done for if he had to fight three of them simultaneously.

Hayuri had been going on a battle of nen kicking and blocking with the third man, as she kept cursing herself for her slowed movements. At the beginning of the battle she was the strongest out of the four, but now she had lost a lot of blood and was clearly slower. She had been refraining on trying to use her hatsu, as she still needed to concentrate a lot to do it. Now that she was fighting only one person, she decided to try it. She blocked a nen infused knee that was aimed to her side and a punch to her already injured shoulder and forced her body to push her opponent back a couple steps. Before he was on her once again, she deeply breathed in and out one time. She sprinted forwards and touched her opponent's right shoulder trying to will his nen to stop. She brushed him lightly and immediately stepped back and watched him. He tried to attack her, but stopped midway with a confused expression while looking at his shoulder, which seemed to be immobilized. Hayuri took that chance and jumped to attack him with both hands, one nen enhanced fist and one with her nen enhanced short blade. Obviously, seeing as her weapon was the deadliest, he blocked it with his good side, allowing her nen infused fist to connect to his cheekbone. He was thrown back, landed on his back and rolled away to a standing position. His arm shoulder seemed to be working again, and he attacked her again. However, Hayuri was now sure that if she used that tactic, she would beat him in no time.

Killua jumped back as he avoided one more hit and, already tired of playing this game of attacking and dodging, he molded some of his nen into his hands. He touched each man on the head with a hand and watched them be slightly electrocuted, which instantly slowed down their movements. The next second, he kneed one of them in the gut, making him bend forward and then he swiftly chopped his neck. When he turned around he had to dodge another attack from the remaining opponent and did a couple back flips until he was satisfied with the distance between them.

"Oii, Killua." Hayuri smirked from under a tree with an unconscious figure next to her. "Finish up already."

"Don't hurry me when I'm helping you out, idiot." He demanded as he looked back to his last opponent. He did a low roundhouse kick and swept him off his feet, reached out to him just as he fell. Both his hands were successfully blocked by his opponent, but Killua smirked and the man widened his eyes in realization. Hayuri was already next to them and she hit the back of his neck rendering him unconscious. Hayuri crouched next to him and searched his pockets, finding nothing.

"Only one of them had a token, there is not enough for both of us." She pointed out and sighed.

"Who do you think I am?" Killua smirked bringing two tokens out of his left pocket. "I'm already fini-"

But he didn't finish his sentence as sound from behind him stopped him. Hayuri watched in horror as someone was right behind Killua, aiming a long blade to his neck. At that moment, every millisecond seemed to pass at a strangely slow pace, each moment the blade coming closer to Killua's neck. Hayuri's mind only thought about how she would NOT allow somebody else close to her to die. She forced her nen to flow at a faster rate through her body and increasing her speed. In the blink of an eye, she had unsheathed her short blade and was behind Killua blocking the attack. However, as her short blade met her opponents, she realized that her speed had not been enough, and that her angle was wrong. So, instead of successfully blocking the attack, the long blade sprinted across her short one at full speed. She leaned just in time to avoid getting her head chopped off, but instead received a long deep gash across her upper chest and clavicle.

She took in a sharp breath, unable to scream in pain, and she felt her knees give in. She held her own weight with her hands and managed to notice that Killua already had engaged the person in battle. Hayuri didn't get to see what happened, since she was seeing black dots mostly, but soon she saw Killua approach her.

"Hayuri!" He crouched down and helped steady her body. Hayuri realized that his hands were drenched in blood that was not his own, leaving stains across her clothes. His face was filled with worry and he was scowling deeply while looking at her injury. "Fuck, this looks bad."

"B-baka, you're ruining my clothes." She muttered with a soft voice.

"They would've been ruined anyways, look at how badly you're bleeding…." He trailed off for a second. "Why would you step behind me?"

"W-what do you mean? He was going to kill you..."

"I know! But you knew that there was obviously not enough time to properly block. So, why?"

"I… I would never let a friend die just because I might lose... fear losing my life." She talked with a spinning head, but with a smile nonetheless, and she managed to see Killua's eyes widen at her rapid blood loss. "Damn... I think that I..."

As Hayuri couldn't form a sentence anymore, Killua held her in place and his heart started beating faster than ever before. He even feared that he would have a panic attack. He was so used to feeling blood on his hands that he didn't even notice anymore. However, feeling Hayuri's warm life spreading through his legs and pooling under his knees, built the feeling of anguish and distress.

He tightly closed his eyes, breathed in and out slowly a couple time to calm down and thought about Hayuri's words. Friends. No one had ever called him that and he had never thought of anyone in that way. But Hayuri was different. She meant something to him and, hearing her say that they were friends, made him realize that they really were. Killua sharply opened his eyes again, determination shining on them. He wouldn't let her die; he had to find a way to save her. He thought for a moment. How could he stop the rapid bleeding without any kind of medical supplies? Something clicked in his head and he leaned down on her with a knowing look on his face.

"Hayuri." He said as he laid her down on the ground and moved to sit on top of her hips, straddling her.

"Y-yeah?" Hayuri managed to reply.

"I wish you were unconscious right now, because this will hurt." He said while putting a log on her hands for her to hold and talking the dried branch of a tree on his left hand. "Brace yourself."

Hayuri looked up to him with a confused expression, but it immediately changed to apprehension when he clicked his fingers and light the branch of fire. He brought his right hand down to her injury, holding it together, and took a deep breath. He looked into her eyes one more time, seeing that she locked eyes with him with a acceptance, and he lowered the burning branch to her injury.

Hayuri has always hated showing weakness in front of others, but nothing could keep in the piercing scream and the tears that she released again and again. She had never felt such terrible pain before, her body feeling like it was being ripped apart, and at that moment, she would've rather died. Fortunately, her consciousness seemed to cope with only a couple minutes of torture, and her mind soon drifted to oblivion.

\- time skip -

Hayuri came back to consciousness to feel her body aching everywhere. Strangely, even though she felt numb, the pain was clearly the strongest on her upper chest and left shoulder. She slowly regained her senses and the next thing she registered was the nauseating stench of burnt flesh. Soon after, she heard the faint singing of birds and assumed that it was day already, so she forced her eyes to open. Slowly, she started to distinguish the figures around her. She seemed to be under some sort of rocky protuberance and surrounded by bushes; a great hiding place indeed. She softly moved her head back and forth and found that she was alone. She took a deep breath and slowly sat up with a low grunt, trying her best to refrain from crying out in pain.

"K-killua." Her dry voice croaked. Immediately, she heard some rusting beyond the bushes and watched Killua enter the hiding spot.

"Hey." He said with an unexpectedly kind voice. And brought a bottle of water to her lips, which she eagerly gulped down. "How are you feeling?"

"Alive and it fucking hurts everywhere." She smirked in a cocky way, but it looked rather pitiful with her pale face and bloody state.

"Good. Also, the pain is expected." Killua nodded and handed her a cooked fish on a stick. "Want some? You've been asleep for almost 10 hours, even though I expected you to wake up tomorrow."

"Haa." Hayuri said between her chewing. "That's weird."

Both stayed silent for a while as they sat next to each other in the improvised hiding place. Hayuri quietly munched on her brunch while looking off into the forest. Killua, on his side, was finally able to relax a bit now that he saw her awake. He had no medical training, so besides knowing that she was still alive due to her pulse, he had no way of knowing if she would make it out or not. Also, he had been deeply shaken when cauterizing her wound. Seeing her scream and cry like that while holding on to his knee was something he didn't expected would make him feel as it did. He had actually felt protective of her, and had cursed himself for not being able to help her endure the pain. He had wanted to hug her and tell her that she would soon feel better, but he couldn't since he had been the one doing the dirty deed. She probably wouldn't have noticed anyways.

"Thank you." Her voice suddenly brought him out of his thoughts.

"What for?"

"You saved my life."

"No! You saved mine! I should be thanking you!" Killua frowned and held his hand to his chest.

"You saved me twice." She pointed out.

"But you almost died when helping me. I'm sorry you had to do it. Please don't do that again, you had me worried. Really." Killua said, openly expressing his concern for her this time.

"Don't worry about it. However, I'm sorry, since would risk my life anytime again if it meant saving yours. Even if you hate me for it."

Killua was at a loss of words at her statement. He wanted to punch her and tell her to stop being stupid. But he felt happy. Of course he didn't want her to die, but knowing that she cared so much about him, made a warm feeling build in his chest. He looked down at her brown eyes as she smiled at him and couldn't help but remember the tears that she'd shed the night before. How much pain shed been in and how she was willing to go through that again to save a friend. Killua felt his arms move on their own and carefully embrace her weak form, burying his face in the crook of her neck.

"Of course." He mumbled into her good shoulder, hiding the blush that crept into his face out of embarrassment. He was **not at all** used to showing kindness to anyone and he always felt too self-conscious when doing so. "We're friends. That's why we will always protect each other no matter what. That's how it's supposed to be, isn't that right?"

"Hai." Hayuri said as she hugged him back and laid her head on his broad shoulder. "That's right."

"Also, I'm sorry for being stupid." Killua said as he pulled back. "It was ridiculous to take both my badges at that time and expose us like that. I suspected that someone could be watching, but lowered my guard to prove a point."

"Well, what can I say. Not everyone can be as smart as me. Or smart al at all." Hayuri smirked as she patted Killua's shoulder lightly, making a vein pop on his forehead.

"Are you saying I'm stupid?"

"Oh, no not at all. You'd probably know if I were anyways, right? You're so smart and all." Hayuri shrugged and held back a snicker.

"Well, I wouldn't expect you to understand something as basic as a rhetoric question anyways."

"Oh, so it actually was. I just thought you weren't capable of such a thing. Congratulations, darling, you can know graduate from basic social skills 1."

"Ew, don't talk like my mother." Killua grimaced and turned away from Hayuri. "I mean, she's my mom and all that, but she drives me crazy, so don't remind me of her."

"How does she? Drive you mad that is."

"She's nags to much about everything, never leaves me alone. I can't even remember ever enjoying her company, since she's always been too obsessed with my tutoring and training."

"Wow... that doesn't sound nice. How about your father?"

"Well... he's great at his work; the best. But he's never had time for his family and we were always trained by some other people or disciplined by our mother or older brother. Even so, the few times I've spent some quality time with him, I've really enjoyed it. I always look forward to when he'll find some time for me. On that subject, my mother has always been the one to give us the most attention, but I guess none of my parents really went out of his way for any of us."

"Wow, I guess being a rich kid does have it downs after all. My parents were kind of regular people, and both of them were pretty close to each other and to me. I really cherish my memories of the times before they died. My mother was always joking around and playing with me; she always found something interesting for us to do together. My father was more serious, but he was kind and caring; he always found a way to make me feel happier and he put a different light on things. I really miss them."

"I... I've never really thought about it, but I don't know if I would miss them that much." Killua thought aloud and Hayuri raised her eyebrows in surprise. "I mean, maybe I would never forgive myself for not living up to their expectations... fulfilling my purpose as a part of the family business. But miss them? I don't think I would."

"Killua!" Hayuri raised her voice a bit as she put her hand on his shoulder. "That's not fair to you at all! You shouldn't live your life fulfilling someone else's expectations. Whatever you do with your life, you should choose by yourself. Do something that you love, that you feel like committing yourself to! Or at least, whatever you do, do it for someone that means the world to you and that deserves it!"

Killua closed his eyes and sat there for what seemed like an eternity. This was the second time that Hayuri made him question what he'd do with his life. What she said sounded nice, having a choice in his future. Choosing what to do and for what purpose. Would it be a personal purpose or a greater purpose? What could he even do as for work besides assassination? The idea seemed alien to him and it was almost funny picturing himself as a construction worker, gardener, or any other regular job. However, his situation was not a common or regular one; he was the heir of the Zoldyck Estate. How could he even consider ever doing anything else? He had an important purpose, so he didn't really have a choice.

"That sounds really pretty and all, Hayuri. But I have a duty I cannot fail to fulfill. I cannot choose my future, so please don't try to change my mind about that. But I truly hope that, one day, you will have that chance and make the most of it."

"I already am. I'm repaying my debt to the hunters that took me in. It makes me feel like I'm doing something for someone that helped me before."

Killua said nothing, but looked back to the forest for a moment. Seconds passed by and he finally spoke up again.

"We're pretty close to the rendezvous point. Are you feeling all right to head back now? It'll be much safer there and you'll get a better rest and treatment."

"I think I am." She said crawling out of the hiding spot. She held on to a tree as she stood up and held her ground for a while. "I'm a little shaky, but I'll manage. Come on."

"Wait." Killua said holding her arm and keeping her in place. "I could give you a ride. I'm pretty unharmed and it's my fault you're like this. Let me help you out."

"You don't need to do this to compensate what I did back at the exam, I am-"

"I **know** you could do this by yourself. And I am **not** doing this because of retribution." He said and crouched down in front of her. "Come on, don't be a thickheaded fool. Let me help you out. Besides, we don't know what's coming next on out training or when it'll start. So you better rest while you can."

Hayuri tried to find a good reason to decline his offer, but all of them seemed ridiculous or unbelievable. She sighed and put her hands on his shoulders for support as she leaned into his back, carefully avoiding brushing her injuries against him.

"All right. You win this time, Killua." She said with compliance and put her head on his shoulder for support. Killua had only taken a couple steps back when fatigue got the best of her and lulled her – more like knocked her – back to sleep.

 **That's it! Thank you for reading and special thanks to Elisablackcat and ChainsOfKurapika!**


	13. Inside Job

CHAPTER 13

"Please step up on the scale."

Hayuri did as the nurse told her and saw the instrument pointed at 58 kg and 172 cm. The nurse wrote down on a file and then allowed Hayuri to step down. She sighed in relief now that the thorough health file was complete and got dressed. She and Killua had been accepted as official trainees for the job of royal guards and were about to start their training. Fortunately, they had been given a four day rest, so Hayuri's injuries were pretty healed by now. Of course the wound was still there and it still hurt as hell, but she was now able to move around with some strain without hurting herself further. Of course, this was not due to some unnatural healing capacity, but to the top notch technology that was at the disposal of nobles, royal guards and the royal family itself.

Hayuri went out of the infirmary and walked down the corridor. The left side was covered in 4 mt tall windows and on the ceiling hung huge chandeliers every couple steps. On the right wall she could see the past members of the royal guard portrayed on hyper realistic paintings. Hayuri was a little tired of that much flashiness and over furnishing, and wondered how the inhabitants of such places didn't grow tired of it. At the end of the hallway, Hayuri opened a golden double door and entered the dining room assigned to them.

The room was packed with royal guard trainees; there probably were around 30 of them. A couple turned to look at Hayuri for a second or two and then went back to their own stuff. Hayuri glanced around quickly and found Killua sitting on a table by himself. She waved at him and walked closer.

"Hey." She said sitting down next to him. "How was your physical checkup?"

"Boring." Killua shrugged and munched on his sandwich.

Hayuri sighed at his lack of conversation and stood up to serve herself some breakfast from the buffet. She waved a waiter away when he started approaching her to probably offer getting her food, since she thought that being spoon fed like that was ridiculous. She got some eggs, bread and fruit and went back to her seat.

"Oiii.. have you noticed anything about our fellow coworkers?"

"Yesh, I hab." Killua nodded and gulped down his food. "There are a few of them that have caught my attention. The bulky guy with red hair that's named Tora; he seems to be confident in his physical strength and looks a little sick in the head to me - trust me on this one. The blond woman on a blue shirt is called Nanami and she seems to have a sharp mind and be the tricky kind, we should always be careful when dealing with her. Lastly, the green haired guy, whose name I don't know since he doesn't talk much, but has this presence about him that puts me on edge. As for the rest of them, they're good enough, but I still haven't seen anyone who catches my eye as the three I mentioned."

"Wow, you actually got that from observing just a couple minutes? Hmm... anyone else that caught your eye?" Hayuri added wiggling her eyebrows.

"Not really."

"Ohh, come on." Hayuri pouted and took some food, leaning closer to it. "How about the brown haired girl with dark skin and beautiful green eyes?"

"Oh, that one. Her name seems to be Hayuri and she's just a baka with a low I.C. At first I wondered how come she got in here, but it appears that she has come following the silver haired cool guy. Actually, he seems kinda interesting and strong. And smart. Actually, maybe she's not a guard trainee at all, but just his servant. It would make sense, be-"

"Low I.C.?" Hayuri frowned. "I may not be as smart as you are, genius boy, but I most certainly don't have a low C.I."

"Really? You even took like five minutes to even realize that I had insulted you, baka."

"Hey, I was finishing up what I had in my mouth. Unlike **other people** I am a good mannered person."

"Huh? Good manners? Where? If you think only speaking after you swallow makes you well manners, you are damn wrong. Every one in my family is more educated then you are. My mom would even say that you are more like a gorilla instead of a woman."

"Haaa, and what about you?" Hayuri scoffed. "You are as bad as I am, so don't you dare call me a gorilla!"

"I just choose to act like you, common girl. I can be as educated as I want." Killua exaggerated his gesticulations with his hands.

"Well, I'm sorry for growing up on the streets, Mr. nobleman."

"Oh, don't worry. You are forgiven. It's like going on a picturesque tour for free. Sharing my time with common people like you, that is."

"Jeez." Hayuri huffed and re-opened her mouth to give some sort of retort, but was interrupted.

"Hello." The blond girl known as Nanami was standing by their table with a kind smile. "I'm Nanami, pleased to meet you."

"I'm Hayuri, pleased to meet you!" She smiled.

"Killua."

And then, a sort of monologue started, in which Nanami told then about herself - sadly only irrelevant information like the food or colors she liked. After a minute or two Hayuri realized something; the girl had been only talking to Killua. She even had a faint blush on her cheeks, but Killua seemed not to notice her flirting. Even more, Killua seemed so uninterested that he wasn't even looking at her and biting his nails. After a while she stopped talking and shyly looked at the both of them.

"Well... please to meet you! I guess I'll be seeing you around." She gave them a bright smile and walked away.

"Well... I guess you were wrong about her, huh? She seems pretty honest and open to me." Hayuri pointed out when she was out of hearing range.

"I wasn't; she's good. I was trained on pinpointing acts and liars and I'm good at gauging people just by looking at them. So trust me when I say this; you should be weary of her."

"Oh, jeez. I almost forgot how humble you were about your numerous traits."

"Ohh, are my traits that numerous?" Killua smirked.

"Oh, yes. I can't tell you how much I've been wooed." Hayuri rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless.

"Please do."

"Oh, hey. About your wooing abilities. Nanami was all over you, wasn't she? At least your so called **traits** do work on some people."

"She wasn't. She was faking everything, I told you. Be wary of her." Killua slightly narrowed his eyes and leaned closer to Hayuri. He looked at her and sighed in defeat. "Actually, don't even talk to her at all. Knowing you, you'll get fooled in no time."

"How could you possibly know that sort o-"

Suddenly the entrance door to the dining room was sharply opened by a tall middle aged man. He had straight black hair and a mustache and was wearing a military uniform of sorts. He carried himself around with arrogance and a sense of authority. He stood under the doorframe for a couple of seconds and with his hands in his hips.

"All right, newbies!" He yelled at the top of his lungs. "Get in line here and stop eating like beasts."

Everyone quickly got up and walked to the center of the hall and got in line. Hayuri stood there and felt her hands sweat a little.

"All right, your first assignment will be a general test, but this time so that we can see what level you're on. It will be an individual test in which you'll have to perform four tasks. The first one will be getting to a pointed destination as fast as you can and while remaining hidden from our different watchers and cameras. This will allow us to assess your speed, stealth, and navigation skills, which will be important to your job as bodyguards. You will start from this place and have to get to room 27 in building C of the royal complex. Any questions?" He waited a couple seconds before speaking again. "I should've guessed! All right, when you hear ringing outside the test will start."

Everybody got ready and as soon as a screeching noise was heard, everyone sprinted towards the door or a window. Killua immediately used zetsu and hid his presence as good as he could. He ran through the palace at full speed and using his most quiet steps. He was soon reminded of most of his assassination jobs and he searched for the mentioned room. His intuition allowed him to get to a wing where the administration seemed to be. In a couple seconds he had found a map and pinpointed the room. Only a minute or two later he was entering the said place and was met with the impressed stare of the examiner. Of course, he had done his best and, since he had been doing this for his whole life, he had taken only four minutes. When the man broke out of his reverie, he wrote his time down and told him to sit down and wait for the others. Five minutes later, the next trainee arrived, and was closely followed by others. The tenth to arrive was Hayuri and, as soon as her time was written down, she walked to sit next to Killua.

"Tora, Nanami and the green haired guy came right after I did. I knew they were good."

"Well... I'll assume you got here first place. So, how long did you take?" She said leaning forward and raising her eyebrows.

"4 minutes."

"Whaaaat? How did-? Is that even possible? Did you know your way around from before?"

"I guess I'm just good at this." Killua shrugged.

"Well, good for you. Maybe you'll become the all-time favorite trainee." Hayuri pointed out while stretching her back. "You're definitely the best one in here."

Killua looked a little taken aback by her sudden praise, but said nothing. A couple minutes later, the last trainee arrived and everyone gathered at the front. Their teacher of sorts told them to follow him outside until they stopped in the middle of a big open space.

"The second task will test your ability on long range attacks. You'll have to aim at 20 moving targets without harming the rest. The targets will be colored red and the other will be yellow. You can use any method you like as long as it's long range. You can also use any weapon of the arsenal by my right. Lastly, you only have 8 seconds time to finish them all."

Hayuri picked a couple kunai as weapons, since she was most comfortable with them. Killua picked a pack of long and thin needles, since his older brother had efficiently taught him for whole two years how to kill with them. Everyone got in line and the watched as their teacher used hatsu and many rubber balls started floating around at great speed and with random directions that changed every couple seconds. Everyone started throwing their own weapons of choice. Most of them would hit 60 to 80 percent of the targets. When Nanami's turn came, she managed to finish 90% of the red balls, and was praised by a couple guys. Killua narrowed his eyes at her and wondered if she had worked on assassination as well. She sheepishly smiled and slightly bowed in appreciation. Hayuri frowned and wondered if she truly was as fake as Killua said she was.

Hayuri's turn came and she inwardly hoped that she would to all right, since she wasn't very competent at long range combat. She truly did her best and managed to get 70% of the targets, which placed her amongst the average. Not too bad. She shrugged and walked to the side and watched Killua step up. He crouched a little and narrowed his eyes as he crossed both arms in front of his face, each hand holding at least a half a dozen needles. He simultaneously threw all of them at great speed and he finished most of his targets on that moment. The balls hadn't even hit the ground when he had already launched a second attack and disabled all of the remaining ones. Everyone stared in shock as he had only taken 4 seconds to finish them all, and none of his needles had been misused. Killua walked to the side and was elbowed by Hayuri.

"Baaka. Why are you showing off, huh? Need some attention?" she loudly whispered to him.

"I'm just aiming for the best position as a bodyguard. Is that too bad?"

"You would've gotten it anyways! Now that Nanami girl will be all over you once again." Hayuri sighed and held her hand to her temple.

"Huh? Why is that a problem to you? Wait! Don't tell me. You're jealous!" Killua feigned surprise and held a hand to his 'o' shaped mouth.

"Don't get all cocky with me; it's just uncomfortable to be around when someone hits on you." Hayuri quickly said and looked away from Killua to hide a light blush on her cheeks.

"Don't worry, Hayuri. There's a couple of hideous guys around. Maybe one of them will feel generous one day and hit on you."

"Oi. I'm not that bad. I'd even say that I'm above average, ok?" Hayuri crossed her arms and felt a tick mark appear on her forehead. "I think any guy in here could be interested in me. Err… maybe most of them? I haven't really thought about it."

Hayuri frowned and looked around as she mentally checked every guy around her. Killua wanted to openly laugh at her for what she'd said and mock her, but they were in the middle of a test of sorts. So he simply stifled a laugh that threatened to escape his throat with his hand and looked back to the last couple trainees as they aimed at their targets.

"All right! Your third test is to spar with each other on hand to hand combat, so that we can see how good your close range abilities are. However, you are not allowed to use any weapons and Hatsu is not allowed. You will fight two times each and each encounter will last 60 seconds. **Of course** you cannot kill your opponent, you are working partners, remember?"

Killua was up against the bulky man called Tora. He was widely smirking while cracking his knuckled and stretching his head both sides. Killua simply stood there with his signature nonchalant posture and bored face. As soon as the fight started, Tora jumped at Killua and aimed a punch at him. Killua barely had time to get out of the way, his punch connecting to the ground and creating a huge dent. Even though Killua had expected his increased brute strength, he was slightly impressed at his speed; he had expected his huge body mass to slow him down.

"Haaa, you're not bad, whitey. It'll be fun kicking a punk like you around." He smirked and jumped at him again. However, Killua swiftly grabbed his wrist and flung himself up in the air above him and kneeled on his shoulders. He aimed an elbow at his right shoulder, but was forcefully shaken off before his attack connected. He black-flipped a couple times away from Tora and looked back at him to realize that he seemed kind of pissed.

"Wait, did I anger you? I thought big elephants were used to having other animals on their back." Killua smirked as he saw the man get red in anger. "You must be related to them, right?

"I'll fucking beat the crap out of you, brat!" the middle aged man yelled and quickly launched a kick at Killua's side. However, due to his angered state, he hadn't seen that Killua had purposely moved next to a stone pillar. So he simply stepped back and his feet connected to it, turning it to dust. Tora's vision was hindered by a couple seconds and, before he knew it, his back was hit with great force. His huge body was sent a good 6 meters away and he rolled a couple more. He immediately stood up and blocked Killua's next punches. A couple attacks were exchanged, until Killua crouched and round house kicked him off his feet.

"Wow, you've gotten slower." Killua said, knowing that it was due to his provocation. "I was kidding when I said you were an elephant, but maybe I'm some kind of clairvoyant, you know?"

Before the bulky man could counter attack again, the fight was over and he scowled back at Killua.

"You'll pay for this. You better remember that." He muttered though gritted teeth and walked away.

Killua said nothing, but had a complacent smirk on his face as he walked back to the crowd and sat next to Hayuri.

"Oi, Killua. Weren't you the one that told me that he looked sick in the head? Weren't we supposed to be weary of him?"

"That advice was meant for you. I can take him no problem any time. Also, he was underestimating and mocking me, so he had it coming."

Hayuri sighed and watched the rest of the fights. Most of the fighters looked like regular nen users, but it was difficult assessing their strength without watching them use hatsu. Soon, both of Hayuri's turns came up and she was against two guys that were pretty regular. She was a little above them, but no big hits were exchanged and the fights ended in cordiality. Killua's last fight was pitiful, since he immediately knocked to poor man out, and was reprimanded by their teacher for not measuring his strength. He reminded him that the purpose of the activity was to measure their abilities, not to simply win the encounter. Hayuri smiled a little at that, thinking that Killua looked like a naughty little boy being scolded because of some prank he'd pulled.

The rest of the fighting was pretty plain and uneventful. When the test was finished, everyone walked back into the building and entered the dining room once again. Their teacher got to the middle of the room and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"The fourth and last task, will allow us to gauge your analytic mind and strategic thinking." He said with an authoritative voice as he walked back and forth. "So it'll be a written test. A scenario will be presented to you with a limited amount of information and you'll have to present an analysis on the situation and an action plan accordingly. You have 60 minutes and you may leave when you're done."

Everyone got a paper sheet, walked to a table and sat down.

The scenario presented was an assassination threat on an important business man that could under no circumstances stop his activities and had hired them as bodyguards. They were given some data on the man's background, his enemies and detailed info on the place where he'd be staying for a couple weeks. They also had a general schedule of what his next 10 days would consist of. Hayuri looked at the information for a couple minutes and finally devised a plan to protect him.

Killua completed the test a couple minutes before she did and left the room, this time not being amongst the first couple people to finish. When Hayuri had written everything down, she walked to the main desk to hand it over and left the room. As she walked down the hallway to go find Killua in the main garden - where she supposed he'd left to - she walked across a payphone. She thought for a moment and decided to call the hunter agency that she worked for. She put a coin in the machine and dialed the number.

" _Hello?_ "

"Hey, it's me, Hayuri."

" _Oh! Hey, what's up?"_

"You texted me saying to give you a call."

" _Ah, yes. You texted me saying that you'd be working as a Royal Guard in Western Padokia?_ "

"Yes, we already passed the test to apply. We're currently trainees."

" _Good. When you told us where you were at we came across a job that has to be taken care of in there and the pay's worth a whole year's work._ "

"Really, that much? Did you find it by coincidence?"

" _Well, kind of. We knew you were there and looked it up just in case something came up. So, will you do it?_ "

"Of course! I'll kill two birds with one stone."

" _All right. We're already finding some people working on the inside that can serve as spies to support your work. When the target's found we'll be immediately noticed by them and go give you a hand._ "

"A hand? Since when do we even do that? Do you think I need help?"

" _Well, you probably will if we want to success. You'll receive notice of who the target is by word. For now I have to go. Good luck._ "

"All right. Goodbye."

Hayuri hung up the phone and stood there for a couple seconds. For some reason, she felt a sort of anticipation and dread build in her chest. She thought for a couple seconds, but couldn't find a reason for her apprehension, so she simply shook it off and left to find Killua.


	14. Something Different

CHAPTER 14

"Father, you called for me." A young male voice said from the door.

"Ah, Killua. Come here and take a seat." A tall muscular man with long silver hair sitting on a huge chair turned around and motioned towards a smaller chair on the opposite side of the desk. The older teen, Killua, approached quietly and sat in front of his father with a straight face. "So, do you know why you're here?"

"I suppose I have another job to do." Answered the teen with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, of course, but it's not just any job. You've just turned eighteen and have successfully completed most of your training as an assassin. All that's left is one final task to prove you're ready, which is why the next job is also a test in which you'll have to fend for yourself. Until now you have completed countless jobs on assassination, which have all had a duration ranging from a couple days to a couple weeks. As you already know, there are specific jobs that, even though being rare, take much longer than that. You haven't been sent on any of those until know because they require a certain maturity and a strong mind that only come with experience. A couple hours ago we received a request that is a long term job. I thought about it and have come to the conclusion that you are ready, son."

"Thank you."

"The target is the successor to the throne of Eastern Padokia, who will be chosen sometime during the first half of the next year, as is tradition. You are to infiltrate the royal guard and find out who it'll be before it is announced and kill your target before security tightens around them. This job calls for the ability to constantly keep your guard up and at the same time act like one of them, a great understanding of what develops around you and the judgment to pick allies if need be. It shouldn't be necessary to remind you that your background and real intentions should not be known by anybody. Completing this job will graduate you into an adult in this household and will allow you to immediately become the head of the family should something happen to me. It's a difficult task, but I trust you will be successful."

"I will not disappoint you, I am ready." Killua answered with determination. _Father, I will make you proud_.

"You are dismissed." The grown man said with a slight smirk, to which the younger one stood up with a slight bow and left with a serious face. He walked down the hallway and saw from the corner of his eye a shadow. He sharply turned around and saw that Hayuri was there leaning on a wall with a contempt smile on her face.

"H-Hayuri? What the hell are you doing here?" Killua whispered and frantically looked around in case someone was watching them. He made sure they were alone and rushed to her side. His family better not find out they were friends, or she would face the same ending as-

"Why? What's wrong with that?" she tilted her head in question. "Isn't this your house? Why would it matter? You can tell them that we're fr-"

"Stop! Quiet!" he pushed her against the wall and covered her mouth with his hand. "You have to leave **now** , all right? We'll meet later."

"But we may not be able to do that, so I personally came here to tell you some good news." She said removing his hand and smiled. Killua leaned forward, showing that she had his full attention. "I've been chosen as the successor of the Western Padokia throne! Who would've thought that they'd choose someone with no royal blood!"

Killua wanted to say something, he honestly did. But he couldn't. His throat went dry and his hands started shaking. What was he supposed to do? Help Hayuri? Betray his family? How could he even choose one? How-

Suddenly laughing was heard and he turned around to see that Illumi was standing on the hallway just behind him. He was hysterically laughing while holding his guts. He suddenly stopped and looked up with a deadly serious expression. His killing intent spread throughout the place and his voice resounded with words filled Killua with horror.

"Do it quickly."

"I'll do it later." Killua said with a calm expression while he tried to think of a way out for her.

"Will you do it or will I have to do it?"

"I said I'd do it later. Don't meddle in my business. This is my job, not yours." Killua said and felt his hands sweating in anticipation.

"You're wrong Kil. This is not your job, it's the family's." He said as he took some needles in both hands and threw them at Hayuri at lightning speed.

"No!" Killua said and stepped in front of Hayuri, who seems prettified by his brother's aura. He felt his whole body pierced by ice cold iron and opened his mouth to scream.

Killua suddenly woke up and kept his sweating body still, as he looked around to find that he was in his room at the royal guard's trainees' wing. He slowly sat up and realized that it was the middle of the night; 3 am. However, he decided to get up to avoid having any more nightmares.

He wondered why the memories of his talk with his father would be followed by a nightmare involving Hayuri. He wondered if it was a possible scenario, but in the end decided that it was impossible for someone without royal blood to be chosen as the heir to the throne.

He decided to get ready for the day beforehand. They had been training on their lowest scores for two weeks. Although Killua had been the second best score on short range combat, he had to work on that, since his scores had been perfect on every other subject. He had been sparring with different trainees these past weeks and had pinpointed a couple things that he could work on, which would allow him to finish his fights in a shorter time.

He almost hadn't seen Hayuri during this period, since she had been assigned to work on her stealth. He had only seen her a couple hours a day while they ate, but he truly missed training with her. It's not that he wasn't making any advances while training with others; it had actually been a good change of routine and he had learned a couple more things about his own fighting style. He just missed being in her company and having fun together. However, today they would have their first real task since they became trainees and all 30 of them had been put in 5 different squads. He was glad that he had been assigned to the same squad as her and would get to spend some time together, even if it was during work.

He did some physical work out and trained his nen basics as always and was ready to leave at 4,30 am. He walked out of his room and slowly made his way to the main garden, knowing that he still had at least half an hour to kill. He was suprised though; when he got to the meeting place he saw that Hayuri was sitting on a bench with her legs crossed and her eyes closed. He sat down next to her and stayed silent for a minute or two, knowing that she must've sensed him long ago since she was using zetsu.

"You've always liked training surrounded by nature." He said softly, as not to startle her.

"You've always liked interrupting me as well." Hayuri smirked with her eyes still closed.

"Jeez, I can come back later, if you want." Killua scoffed and moved to sit up but was stopped when she took hold of his hand.

"What's done is done, so I might as well enjoy your company, right?" She smiled looking at him and Killua simply leaned back again. He was quiet for a couple seconds before speaking up again.

"Why are you here so early?"

"I often come train my basics in the gardens before my day starts, so I decided to do it at the meeting spot today. Although, I didn't expect you to be here early as well."

"I woke up and finished my training long ago." Killua looked up to the stars. "I couldn't go back to sleep so I decided to do my routine earlier this time."

"Why couldn't you go back to sleep? Had a bad dream?"

"Yeah."

"What was it about?"

"Nothing important."

"Come on." Hayuri pressed with a serious face and Killua turned to look into her determined green orbs. "It must've meant something to you if you couldn't go back to sleep."

"Well..." he sighed in defeat "I won't be specific about it. But I dreamt about my family. They wanted me to complete a job that I didn't want to do, because it would be detrimental to someone I cared about. They put a lot of pressure on me. It just... turned out nasty." he said, but Hayuri remained silent for a while. "It may sound stupid, but it was quite stressing to be in that situation."

"It's not stupid, Killua." She quickly answered. "Actually, I've seen that happen where I work at as well. They expect complete loyalty and dedication from every member and they don't tolerate treason." Hayuri spoke and her voice shook a little. "Once, a member tried to steal a treasure that we'd gathered in order to pay his child's treatment. He was executed and I saw how conflicted he had been. It was horrible." She stopped talking and her hold on his hand tightened, which startled Killua, who had forgotten their hands were joined.

Both stayed silent for a while, each downing on their own thoughts for a couple minutes. They were broke out of their state when a third presence started approaching them. Killua moved to sit on the other side of the bench, further away from Hayuri. A thin man came and greeted them with a nod, to which they responded with the same gesture. Five more minutes of silence and all six members of the team had arrived.

Killua had been assigned as the squad leader, since he had the best scores of all. They were supposed to gather some intel on a radical anti-monarchy group that had been causing some trouble. They were suspected to be working on an old factory in the outskirts of the capital, and they were suspected to operate at night. Killua decided to get there at the crack of dawn, just before they left, when they were the most tired and the day guard shift was jet to begin. They stopped 50 meters away from the building and Killua looked around noticing that people still seemed to be working inside, since he could feel the presence of at least a dozen civilians inside. He crouched down as his squad formed a circle around him.

"Everything seems according to plan." He whispered and looked around to check everyone was listening. "Remember that this mission is only intel gathering. We don't want them to know we're here. We don't want to fight them. This is a big organization and doing any of these will only alert them of our knowledge of them. So, be as silent as ghosts and get as much intel as you can. Always use Zetsu and don't make any noises. Just in case, we'll be going inside in the pairs that were previously decided. You remember who your partner is?" he said looking around and receiving nods from everyone. "Good. If you find a threat that could harm any of us, press the red button on your ear piece and it'll alert everyone else with a ring. If this happens we'll meet back at this spot and, if for some reason we cannot, we'll meet up back at the palace. Let's meet back here in 15 minutes. Is everything clear?"

Everyone nodded once again and they sprinted through the parking lot, blending with the shadows and being practically invisible to the common people. When Hayuri tried to move forwards, Killua held her hand to stop her. She frowned but crouched back down and turned her head to look at him.

"What are we waiting for?" she whispered.

"We'll get the side that they don't." He said pointing to the two other pairs. One of them entered through the front, and the other through the right. Killua mildly pulled Hayuri's hand to let her know that it was time. Both ran through the open space at top speed and got to the left door in a matter of seconds. Hayuri checked their surroundings as Killua used a nen infused needle to open the steel safe door. It clicked open and he slowly and quietly opened the door, immediately checking if anyone was inside. It was clear and he signaled for Hayuri to follow him inside and she silently closed the door behind her. Two seconds later they were sprinting through the hallways and stopping at every door to check what was inside. They came across storage rooms, a kitchen, bathrooms, and other useless rooms. They also found no one around, which was a bit strange. After a while they found a stair that went to a lower level, and they went down. They immediately heard the faint grumble of voices and put their guards up. As they slowly got closer to a closed door, Killua realized that Hayuri's steps were fainter than before. It seemed that her training had helped her improve significantly in two weeks. When they got to the door, both realized that some sort of meeting was being held inside. Killua motioned for them to go check the other rooms while the rest of them were busy with the meeting.

Hayuri found a room that was packed with blueprints of what seemed to be some monumental buildings, but there was no text that indicated what they were. She found some specifications on building materials and building structure along with them. She wondered if they worked in architecture in there of if there was something fishy going on. She didn't touch anything, so she could only see what was on top of the desks and inside some partly open drawers. Hayuri walked out of the room and met Killua on the corridor, who had also just left another room. He seemed to have found something interesting, since he had this serious and knowing look in his eyes.

Both walked a couple steps further when voices were heard just by the door to the meeting room. Hayuri grabbed Killua's hand and dragged him into the first room that she came across, which turned out to be a small walk in closet. Killua quickly entered just behind Hayuri and quietly closed the door behind him. The closet was barely big enough for both of them to enter, and they were surrounded by sweepers and other cleaning elements. As soon as Killua closed the door behind him, they heard the door open up and everyone in the meeting room get out while loudly talking. Killua leaned closer to Hayuri's ear, so that she could hear him as he almost inaudibly whispered.

"Don't you dare move."

That's when Hayuri realized that they were surrounded by barely standing stuff. Any movement could cause instability and make everything come crashing down. She could barely see in there, but the door to the closet had a small grille for ventilation and it allowed her to see around a bit. She didn't only see all the mess that they were surrounded by, but also the position that they were in.

Due to how narrow the closet was, Killua's body was just about to touch hers, as her back was against the wall and his back was against the door. Killua was putting as much distance between them as he could, by pressing his fore arm against the wall to her right. However, the distance was too close for comfort. It seemed that he was also aware of their awkward situation, because he was facing away from her. Thank goodness, because if he didn't Hayuri was sure that she would be able to feel his breath on her face. She gulped and tried to see what was going on outside, since the voices were still clear and loud in the corridor. That was when she realized that, since Killua's back was pressed against the door, his hair was poking out through the grille. She inwardly cursed and raised her hands to grab his shoulders and pushed him to her. He seemed started by this and turned his head to look at her in question.

"Your damn fluffy hair is poking out through the grille." She softly whispered as she turned to look at him. She then realized how close they were right now. His chest was now pressed against hers and his chin was almost brushing her shoulder as he looked at her. His eyes, that had been confused when he turned his face to her, now seemed startled as he looked down at her. His face was a couple centimeters away from her and now she could most definitely feel his breath on her face. She could feel his hot air tingling her nose and her lips. The feeling that it evoked in her was completely unexpected. Her heart started beating erratically and she feared that everyone in the fucking building would hear it. Killua was still looking into her green eyes with an expression that she could not pinpoint, as she also kept on staring into his sapphire orbs. She felt as though some sort of spell had been cast on them, since time seemed to stop. However, one of the men outside passed just outside their door while loudly laughing, bringing both out of their daze and making them realize the situation. Killua immediately looked away and Hayuri raised one hand to cover her blush as she kept on holding his head him in place with the other one.

It appeared that everyone had left the hallway by now, but they still had to wait a little longer before going out. Hayuri thought for a moment that her feelings would go back to normal now, but this deep silence seemed to be making things worse. The feeling of his firm chest against her was making her mind think of stuff that she most definitely should **not be thinking.** Most definitely not in this situation. Much less with Killua! Her erratic heart wouldn't calm down and she just knew that he was aware of that fact. In this silence, she knew that Killua's sharp hearing would immediately notice that she was a bundle of nerves. She wished that she had that ability too, so that she could know if he was feeling the way that she was. Hayuri slowly turned her head to take a quick glance at him, but he was looking away from her so she couldn't see his expression. She looked away again and felt her hands sweat a little from the constant anticipation that she'd felt. It seemed like a freaking hour had gone by, when in reality they had been in there for only a couple minutes.

Her face was almost touching his shoulder as he was leaning forwards and his face was almost buried in her own. She could feel his breath on her skin and she felt goose bumps on her arms and neck. His manly scent of musk was filling her and she couldn't help but softly close her eyes as she tried to drill it into her memories.

After a while she decided that if she didn't do anything she would lose her mind. She slowly breathed in as she tried to clear her mind, and then slightly tilted her head towards him. Knowing that they were close enough for him to hear her out, she opened her mouth and whispered.

"I'm going to lean forward and see if we're clear." She informed him. Killua stiffly nodded his head two times in agreement. Hayuri leaned towards the door, further pressing her body into his. His chin was now leaning on her shoulder and her mouth and nose were pressed to the side of his chest. His body was now flushed against her own and she could feel the heat that it radiated, but forced her mind to focus on the task at hand. She looked around through the grill and noticed that she had a good visual of most of the hallway, which seemed to be empty.

It seemed indeed like it was the perfect time to flee that place, but somehow Hayuri was doubting. Was it because she feared they would get caught? No. She wanted to stay close to Killua like this. But she was a realistic person and knew that they needed to get out of there, so she gave him the truth.

"It's clear. Let's go."


	15. A bad feeling

CHAPTER 15

When they came back from their mission, Killua pushed what had happened with Hayuri to the back of his head. He had a job to do and decided to act professionally until the end and Hayuri seemed to take the same course of action. They put all of the intel they'd gathered together and came to a disturbing conclusion. The group was planning to blow up a monumental building, but they were not planning to do it alone. They discovered that there was a vast network of groups that opposed the monarchy, some being more radical than others. However, they did not know which building and when they would aim at. There was too much info on most existing buildings and there was no evidence that showed special interest in just one. They decided to put the information away in an orderly fashioned, so that it was quick and easy to find if need be.

In the late afternoon, they had a meeting with the general commander of the royal forces and told him what they had found with full detail. He told them to not stop the rebels, unless the king himself was endangered. They were to use this group as a lead or as bait to find the other rebels first. They would have to work three times a week on this subject and train the rest of the week. Killua was put in charge and was told to brief once a week on their work and give word immediately if anything big came up.

The meeting lasted so long that dinner was served while they talked and, when they finally left, it was already 11 pm. Each of them left to their own rooms and Killua was glad to finally have some time to think.

What had even happened back then with Hayuri? Nothing really happened; they had left and gathered with everyone else as soon as she had notified him they were clear. Thankfully, as soon as he walked out of that closet, Killua came back to his senses and was able to work outstandingly as always.

However, something had awoken in him at that time. He had always seen Hayuri as a friend and he was comfortable around her. But this time around, he had actually perceived her as a woman in a sexual manner. He had wanted to touch her in places tha- Killua cursed. He would not go down that train of thought. He most definitely did not need that kind of distractions during his mission - his real mission - and he also didn't have time to invest in such activities.

Besides, he wasn't even sure that Hayuri had felt the same as he did. Of course she had noticed the tension in the air. But had she felt the same attraction that he had? Killua had been at the edge of sanity and had sworn that he would lose his self-control any time. Only remembering how he had felt back then made his gut tingle.

"Damn." Killua cursed and sat down on his bed. They were only friends, and he would make sure it stayed that way. He would act as if what had happened was unimportant and would not bring the matter up to her. If she did, he would deny having felt anything.

\- Timeskip -

Hayuri entered the dining room and her eyes immediately found Killua. She quickly waved when their eyes met and approached him. As she walked, she felt nervous. What would he do? Would he say anything to her? After what had happened the day before they were going to sit alone for the first time.

"Oii, Hayuri." Killua smirked as she sat down. "Afraid the rebels are going to bomb up your face? You don't look too good. Actually, now that I think about it, that's not unusual for you."

"Hey, what the heck." Hayuri said and a tick mark appeared on her forehead. "I'm not afraid, baka. Why this need to bully me first thing in the morning? The sun's barely up, you know?"

Killua gave her a mischievous smile and took a bite out of his sandwich. Hayuri stood up and served herself some scrambled eggs, fruit and a glass of orange juice. She sat back down with a sigh and started eating. She was kind of fidgety about being too close to Killua. She looked at him and realized that he was acting as if nothing had happened at all. Had he not felt the tension in the air? She could've sworn he had, from how stiff he had been in there.

"Oi, Hayuri. I'm done over here. I guess I'll see you around at lunch, right?" He said and Hayuri realized that he had just finished eating.

"Yeah, see you."

Hayuri watched him leave with a slight frown on her face. Killua had never left so quickly when they ate together before. Maybe he was just uncomfortable with the situation and left to avoid being nervous around her. Or maybe she was just over thinking things.

Hayuri took a bite off her apple and sighed in defeat. Suddenly a chill ran up her spine, the feeling of being watched by someone with no good intentions rising in her gut. She discretely looked around, but found that everyone was minding their own business. She decided that she must've imagined it.

Hayuri trained her ass off, as usual. She worked on how her feet adapted to the ground as she tried to make as little noise as possible. She worked on her speed, running 200 meters at top speed at least 20 times.

When midday finally came, she walked to the dining room and sat at hers and Killua's spot as usual. She looked around and found that everyone was there except for him. She frowned and felt like a high schooler, feeling lonely because she was the only one eating all by herself.

After a couple minutes she simply started eating, wondering what had happened with Killua. He had never before missed a meal together with her. She didn't know why, but it kind of affected her. She forced the food to go down her throat as the lump in it grew heavy. She had eaten half of her meal, when the room was entered by their superior, who stood and talked with his usual authoritarian attitude.

"Everyone, listen up. Today we will be testing your abilities without the use of nen. We want to make sure no one cheats, so you will be given a pill that will force you into zetsu." He said as he looked around the room. "After finishing your lunch, go to the infirmary, where it will be handed to you. And don't worry, the effect will be gone by tomorrow."

He immediately left then room and Hayuri sat there for a while wondering where Killua was. Suddenly she felt that uneasy feeling once again and looked around, but no one seemed to be minding her. She sighed and took another bite of her lunch.

A couple minutes later, Killua came into the room. He seemed as nonchalant as always and he slowly got walked to the buffet bar and got himself something to eat. Two minutes later he was sitting down next to Hayuri.

"Hey." He said after swallowing.

"You're late." Hayuri said as she frowned.

"Yes. I had something's I needed to tend to. Sorry to keep you waiting." He said without looking her way. Hayuri felt that Killua was hiding something from her, but it could've also been uneasiness from the day before.

"Ok. Did you hear already? About the nen suppressing pill?"

"What is that?" Killua raised an eyebrow in question.

"Jeez." Hayuri sighed and filled him in.

"Well, I can't say I'm comfortable with the situation, but we cannot refuse, can we?" He said and shrugged after she had told him about it.

"No." Hayuri agreed and sipped her water. "I just hope this does not have any secondary effects."

When they were ready with their meal, both walked down the hallway and got in line in front of the infirmary. Both entered, got their pills, and left to the training ground where they were told to go after.

They were nearing the place when both felt how their nen was suddenly suppressed, the feeling similar to before they'd learned how to use nen. They stood still for a couple seconds and finally agreed with a silent not, that they seemed otherwise fine. They walked a couple more meters until the found themselves at the meeting place.

Killua looked around and wondered what kind of skills would be examined in this situation. There were 6 5x5 meter squares drawn on the ground, which made Killua think that they were some sort of rings and he guessed that they would probably do some close range fighting.

Hayuri sat down next to Killua as they waited for the test to start.

"I hope we don't have to fight each other." Hayuri commented. "I'd rather fight anyone else."

"Well, at least you're honest about who could kick your ass." Killua smirked playfully.

"Hey! Don't mock me!" She pouted a bit and nudged him in the shoulder.

"Well, I'm sorry. I also wouldn't want to fight you. I know your fighting style too well and it's no fun anymore."

"You'd be surprised that I've actually learned a couple things in here." Hayuri smirked. "However, you'll have to fight me someday to find out."

"Ohh~ is that a challenge?" Killua leaned closer as he displayed a smug smile.

"It can be if you want it to."

Killua was about to say something else when there was a sudden wave of killing intent directed at them. He quickly turned around to check it, but as soon as it came it was gone. He looked to his side and saw Hayuri with a worried expression on her face.

"What the hell was that?" He questioned.

"I'm not sure, but this is not the first time that it has happened to me." She said looking around warily and then turning to look Killua in the eye. "Killua, I don't know if I might be over reacting, but think that someone is-"

"TRAINEES!" The loud voice of their superior resounded in the whole place and they immediately had to stand up and get in line. However, before Hayuri walked past Killua, she looked at him and he mouthed 'talk about this later'. He seemed to sense something wrong as well. This, for one part, helped Hayuri ease up a bit, knowing that she had shared her troubles with someone. However, Killua had good instincts, which meant that someone probably was targeting her. And this worried her.

Each trainee had to fight three times each; there was a chart and one referee for each ring. Killua was certain that, without nen, his advantage in combat would only increase. He had been trained since a child to quickly disable anyone and, on a fair match without nen, he didn't suppose there would be anyone as strong as he was. Killua fought his first opponent, who was immediately defeated. His second opponent lasted a couple seconds longer. Lastly, his third opponent was Tora. He looked too confident. He probably thought that Killua had had regular physical training and that he would be easily defeated this time.

Killua smiled and took a step forward. The referee gave the sign and he jumped up as Tora kicked the floor, making a huge dent in it. He had to admit, if it weren't for himself, the man would probably beat everyone in there when it came to rough strength.

Tora looked up and kicked upwards, but Killua grabbing his leg and swinging himself around. He landed on the other side of the ring and watched with amusement as Tora shook with anger.  
"You'll get your ass kicked now, brat." He spat and launched at Killua with full force. However, Killua stepped aside and grabbed his fist, swinging him around and throwing him out of the ring.  
"I thought I'd get it now." He said crossing his arms behind his back and watching as Tora stood up again. He scrubbed some dust off his face and entered the ring again.

Tora and Killua circled around each other, until Killua decided to attack and he leapt into the air. He twisted around above Tora and used an important amount of physical force to kick him on the side. He blocked with his forearm and his huge body was pushed back 4 meters. It took all of him to avoid leaving the ring. He narrowed his eyes, noticing that Killua was probably stronger than he was. He cursed and cautiously walked a couple steps forwards. He aimed a punch at Killua's face, but he was fast - too fast - as he crouched doing a roundhouse kick and kicked him off his feet.

Tora managed to hold his weight on one hand, and was about to counterattack when Killua came at him. He elbowed his side, using his full weight, and earned another point. He was announced as the victor and allowed his hand to be raised by the referee.

"Don't bother, you'll never be able to defeat me. If you were able to correctly gauge my strength, you'd know that by now." he shot a smug smile at Tora.

When he heard him, Tora stood up and raised his head to look at Killua. The silver haired teen was surprised that Tora didn't look angry at all, but actually looked confident.

"You'll regret this, remember that." Tora smirked evilly and turned to leave.

Killua stood there as he wondered what the heck that meant. Did Tora know about his true background? He probably didn't. He was too stupid and would've probably done something reckless with the knowledge. Killua decided to be more observant around him from now on and walked back to Hayuri, who was sitting by his ring.

"Jeez, Killua. Try not to pick up fights, you'll only cause trouble." She sighed and moved to sit up as her name was called. "You act like a goddamn kid."

"And you act like a goddamn granny." Killua frowned and looked away; bothered by the fact that Hayuri was reprimanding him like a child.

She face palmed, but ignored that retort as she walked to the ring. She was faced with a weak opponent the first time and it took her only 10 seconds to win her first fight. However, on her second fight, she had to fight the green haired man that Killua had mentioned to be suspicious. She immediately raised her guard, just in time to avoid a knee to her gut. She jumped out of the way and aimed a straight punch at his nose, but it was dodged. Her hand was grabbed and she was spun around to be thrown at a nearby wall. She turned in the air, landing with her feet on the wall and pushing herself right back to the ring. She turned in the air and launched a roundhouse kick to his shoulder with full force. He dodged it and Hayuri aimed a punch to his cheekbone. However, it was blocked with his forearm and Hayuri was suddenly hit by a stinging pain. She hissed as she leapt away and landed on her right feet, watching as her left arm was now profusely bleeding. She looked up and saw the referee nearing her opponent.

"You're not allowed to use any weapons."

"I didn't." The green haired man said and raised his arm and showing that there were iron thorns poking out of his bone. "I only used my body."

The referee frowned and seemed to ponder that fact, but in the end he had to declare Hayuri unable to fight anyway. She slowly walked to the side and was approached by a nurse.

"Please follow me to the infirmary." He told her and she slowly walked away, not before throwing a look back at Killua, who was staring right back at her. He motioned with his hand as if saying 'later' and she nodded.

Hayuri walked into the room and was lead to a chair to sit on. The nurse took out a couple supplies and started cleaning her wound. Hayuri realized that the green haired man had actually torn her arm open, showing up most of her muscle. She flinched at the feeling of disinfectant on her wound and stood up as she was told to lie down. She did and watched the nurse put and IV on her good arm. She was glad that the medical technology in this place was the best available and that this would get her healed in a couple days.

"Sit here until I come back, you lost a considerable amount of blood." he instructed and Hayuri nodded.

She watched the male nurse walk out of the room and, being as dizzy as she was due to blood loss, Hayuri dozed off. She was shaken awake later by the nurse and slowly sat up. She looked out the window and found that it was way past dawn, since the sky was completely black by now.

"If you're wondering, it's almost 11,00 pm by now." He said and Hayuri must've looked upset by that, because he immediately added more. "I saved you a portion of dinner, in case you're wondering."

"Really?" Hayuri said as her eyes shone in delight.

"Yes, I can't have my patients starve." He said and put a plate with fish and potatoes in front of Hayuri. "If you eat this you'll regain your blood faster. When you're finished you may leave."

He said and turned back to organize some of his stuff. Hayuri ate in silence, slightly disappointed that she would dine without Killua's company.

Ten minutes later, she was done and slowly stood up. She still felt a little weak, so she patiently made her way to the door as she thanked the nurse. Hayuri opened the door and walked out of the infirmary.

She walked down the hallway, which was now deserted, since everyone was expected to stay inside their rooms after 10 pm. However, as Hayuri walked away from the service wing, she felt uneasiness build up in her stomach. She was walking through an exterior corridor surrounded by woods, when she felt a killing intent aimed at her. It was the same shed felt before and she sharply turned around, her slight dizziness forgotten. She watched a shadow walk out from between two trees and approach her. When it was 2 meters away from her, the light reached its face she immediately recognized who it was.

"Tora." She said quietly and frowned. "Why are you here?"

"Ohh. No greetings?" He smirked and walked closer to her.

"Quit the crap. We're not friends." Hayuri said as she took a defensive stance. She suddenly remembered two things; she was injured and she didn't have nen. Plus, this man here was physically much stronger than she was. So, for now, she decided to act polite. "Is there something you need?"

"Oh, how nice of you. Actually there is." He smirked and Hayuri felt a shiver roll down her spine. He took a step forward and Hayuri took one back. "I need your help so that your boyfriend learns a lesson or two."

"Er... you mean Killua? He's not my boyfriend."

"Oh, well. Friend, or whatever." He scoffed and took another step towards Hayuri, to which she took a step back.

"You know that you're not allowed to hurt me, we're coworkers. If you do that you'll lose your job."

"Oh, actually that's not precise. We're actually not allowed to inflict any kind of injuries on each other, or put our lives at risk." He said and rook another step forwards. Hayuri again took a step back and froze at his next words. "I don't need to injury a woman to hurt her."

Hayuri felt as if she'd just received a bucket of cold water and felt adrenaline rush through her bloodstream. She quickly turned around to escape, but felt huge hands grab her wrist and pull her back to the side of the corridor. Hayuri opened her mouth to scream, but failed as it was muffled by his other hand. Her arms were firmly held on her back and she cursed the size and strength of his hands, which allowed him to hold both of her arms behind her back. She tried to struggle, but felt herself be dragged away from the exterior corridor. A couple seconds after, both were surrounded by trees and hidden from view.

Hayuri was roughly pushed to the ground, the huge man pushing his whole body weight on her. She was turned around to face him and felt her arms pinned above her head. Hayuri used all of her strength to release herself, but she'd never have as much raw strength as this tank. Tora removed his hand from her mouth and immediately replaced it with his mouth, before she could scream. His hands reached to her shirt and it was unceremoniously torn open. Hayuri widened her eyes, fearing the outcome, as felt his hand doing down to her leggings and simply tearing them off. Her breast was brutally squeezed, making her scream into Tora's mouth. He laughed at this and did it again, and Hayuri tried to suppress her whimper in vain. Hayuri would've been disgusted at this, but her fear wouldn't allow for any other emotion. His hand went down lower and it squeezed her ass. Tora seemed to get kind of carried away, because he french kissed her, holding her face violently with his free hand. Hayuri immediately took the chance and bit down on his tongue with full force, making him jerk away in pain. His grip on her arms and face loosened, and she slipped away from him. She had merely taken a couple steps, when her ankle was grabbed and she was brought down again, only to be pulled back by the hair. However, Hayuri managed to get a hold of a branch with a sharp end. Without thinking twice, she turned around and stabbed his right shoulder.

As soon as he released her again, she stood up and took off. Not a second later, he was running after her. Despite her deep angst, Hayuri managed to be thankful that she'd been developing her speed and stealth lately. She managed to keep a constant distance away from him. She sprinted right into the dormitory wing and, unconsciously, run towards Killua's room. Her heart was beating like crazy as she neared his door, Tora just a couple steps behind her. She stopped abruptly in front of his room and banged her fist into his door repeatedly. As soon as she did, she felt Tora's killing intent decrease and saw him run right past her and away from Killua's room.

She would've snorted at his cowardice, but she felt too relieved that he had left. Not four seconds after shed banged the life out of Killua's door, it opened up.

Killua came into view, his face scrunched up in a frown, clearly not happy about being bothered at this hour. As soon as he spotted Hayuri, his eyes widened and he quickly allowed her to enter.

When he closed the door behind him, he turned around and observed Hayuri. The first thing he noticed was that she was only wearing panties and a bra. The next one, were the already forming light bruises on her forearms, face and thighs. Her long brown hair was a mess and her green eyes were widened in fear and filled with tears. Killua didn't need to be a genius to know what has happened out there.

Hayuri had been standing there for a couple of seconds, suddenly aware of her lack of clothing, when Killua softly embraced her. Her trembling body held on tightly to him for a couple minutes, crying in silence. After a while, Killua slowly pulled back and held Hayuri by the shoulders. His sapphire eyes met her green orbs and she was surprised by the worry in them.

"Hayuri. Please tell me, do you need medical attention?" He said with a low voice and she shook her head. "Did.. were you..?"

"N-no, I hurt him and managed to get away." She said with a trembling voice. She realized at that moment that - since her adrenaline was fading away - her dizziness had returned. "I need to sit down for a moment."

"Come." Killua said and put his arm under her own and led her to his bed. He laid her down and tried not to look at her partially naked body. He covered her with a blanket and sat down on the floor, leveling his eyes with hers. He noticed that her brown skin looked pale and remembered that she probably had been returning from the infirmary when she was attacked. The fucking coward who did this would pay wi-

"Hayuri." He said and she suddenly realized that there was a barely contained anger in his voice. Had it been there before? " _Who_ did this."

"No, Killua." She frowned and turned her head to him. "I don't want you out there-"

"No, you don't decide what I get to do. If you don't tell me I will find him on my own and-"

"Stop!" Hayuri said slightly raising her voice. "This arrogance of yours is what got me in trouble in the first place. I may put up with it no problem, but other people won't."

"So, it was Tora." Killua immediately concluded and she bit her lip. "Why did he target you?"

"He knew it wasn't allowed for trainees to injury each other or put their lives at risk. I suppose he also knew you were stronger than him. So in the end, he decided to take his anger out on someone who was close to you and in a way that would not get him fired."

Killua was quiet for a minute and felt guilt build up in his chest. Of course he didn't blame himself for what happened, but Hayuri was right. He was used to not caring if he had enemies or not, since he was confident enough to know that he could take them on no problem. But he had been reckless. Since he had never befriended anyone before, he had never considered that he had been putting Hayuri at risk as well. He cursed inwardly at his lack of foresight.

He slowly got up, but his hand was suddenly held by Hayuri.

"Killua."

"Hayuri." He said and looked back at her. "I'm sorry for pulling you into this and I promise not to be so reckless from now on. However, you must know that Tora probably won't stop here; he must be even angrier than before."

"Damn..." Hayuri looked down and frowned. "But I don't want you to get kicked out. You will if you hurt him."

"Don't worry." Killua smirked evilly and Hayuri was taken aback by the darkness in his eyes. "I can work around that. He won't bother us again."

Hayuri watched Killua melt into the darkness of the room as he walked out if it. At that last moment, she had felt such an incredibly dark aura around him, that she wondered if he was even human. She had never felt anything like that before. Surprisingly, she was not afraid, on the contrary.

THANK YOU for reading and please leave a review to let me know what you think!


	16. What if?

CHAPTER 16

"All right." Killua said as he looked around at the members of his squad. "Today our aim is to keep watch on the rebel group that we know of. If there is any sort of movement, we will follow them in order to find out more about this anti-monarchy network. We will work in three different squads, each consisting of two members. This way it'll be easier to move around and follow them if necessary. We will wait outside the old factory that they're using as a hideout until they make a move. Are we clear?" He looked around and everyone nodded. "Ok, let's go."

Killua set off running to said place, followed by everyone. When they arrived it was dawn already and the first stars were showing in the sky. They split up in pairs, scattering around the building. He and Hayuri hid behind a small woodland next to the old factory and waited. He had consciously chosen her as a partner for three reasons. First of all, he was familiar with how she moved and fought. Secondly, she was quite strong, so together they could make the most risky moves. And lastly, he enjoyed her company. Of course he had not voiced this reason when appointing partners, but it was true nonetheless.

Killua couldn't help but let his mind wander back to what had happened a couple days ago. When Hayuri had shown up in his room half naked and clearly scared, he had felt his blood run cold. At first, he was worried, so he simply hugged her to help her calm down and asked her if she was alright. He was beyond relieved that she had managed to escape before anything else happened. However, he immediately felt rage flow through his veins. The only thing on his mind was to kill whoever had tried to assault her. When he finally found that it had been Tora, he knew that the man would not leave either of them alone. Also, he felt responsible for the situation, so he decided to take care of it. He knew he couldn't kill the man and risk suspicion falling on him; he had a mission to complete - so he decided to take a different course of action. He sneaked into Tora's room and found him sitting on his bed while cleaning up a stab on his shoulder. Killua had molded into the shadows and surprised him from behind. He had used his full bloodlust, to let the man know who he was messing with, as he told him to leave and never show himself in front of them ever again. The big man trembled as fear showed in his eyes; he clearly hadn't expected the silver haired teen to be this scary and strong. When Killua left, he was certain that the man would never bother them again. The next day, they found that he had quit the job. Hayuri looked beyond relieved and asked him what he had done. Killua just said that he had told him not to bother them again, to which she frowned, but nodded nonetheless. He knew that she had seen his eyes before he left, so she probably knew that it hadn't been as smooth as that.

Killua looked at Hayuri, who was crouching behind a bush next to him, and he smiled seeing that she didn't appear worried about that event anymore. He looked back to the warehouse and they watched two people leaving towards the city. He took out his phone and texted the other team to follow them. He put it back and, not long afterwards, three other people left, this time taking a car and heading to the outskirts of the city. Killua texted again, announcing that his team would follow them, and instructing the rest to keep guard in case something came up or more people left the place.

He put the phone away and motioned for Hayuri to follow him as he took off running. Hayuri was close behind him as they followed the car into the countryside. 15 minutes later, Killua wondered how long they would have to run. He thought that they should've brought a car, which he had refused at first because it would show too much and it hindered their movements. Thankfully, as he was thinking this, the car stopped and a man opened the door for the car to enter a property. Killua and Hayuri followed through the shadows and they were soon going up a mountain. When the car stopped, the men got off and entered a cabin. Killua looked at Hayuri and she nodded, as both quietly entered their zetsu and approached a window. The looked inside and saw that there was some sort of meeting. There were 15 people sitting around a table and Killua took out a small notebook and a pen. Not long after, a middle aged woman stood up.

"Welcome. We will soon start discussing the timing of our next move." She said as she looked around. "We don't have much time to talk this out, since it's too risky for all of us to meet up like this. So I will get straight to the point. Should we do it this week?"

"No." A man said as he stood up. "The timing is not right. We should wait until the next heir is crowned and the political scenario is less stable. If we want people to support us we have to be careful."

A couple people nodded, but then someone else stood up.

"We cannot wait any longer! Have you seen how many children are starving out there? If we wait until that, how many will die or get sick?"

"I agree." Someone else said and hit the table with his fist. "Have you seen how the king and his protégées practically shit on gold, while we work 12 hours a day and can't even feed our children properly?"

"We cannot do that." Another woman stood up. "If we mess up now, we might not get another chance in decades. We need a democracy for sure, even if it means waiting half a year."

"And let our children die?"

"Hold on." The woman who opened the meeting stood up again. "If we put this plan in motion right know, it'll probably fail. If that happens, all of us will surely be executed. What will happen to our children if that's the case? They probably will starve if we're not with them. The safest choice is to delay our strike and plan something bigger. In the meantime, I have a suggestion to help feed our people. A businessman that's part of the resistance has offered to give every child a meal a day until our strike."

Everybody seemed taken aback and surprised. Conversation was heard all around until a man stood up.

"He must be rich. Is he asking for something in exchange?"

"Yes." The woman closed her eyes. "He wants a place as a senator and he wants his company to have special treatment."

"What?! That's outrageous!" Someone shouted.

"That goes against democracy itself! Who does he think he is?"

And the discussion went on for a while. 20 minutes later, it was decided that they had no option but to accept the business man's offer. Killua and Hayuri waited between the bushed until every car had left to walk out.

"We're clear." Hayuri said and looked back at Killua.

"Come on, le-"

"Wait." Hayuri said looking at her feet. "Are you ok with this?"

"Ok with what?"

"This! Is the king really allowing children to starve?" Hayuri said tightening her fist. "Shouldn't we also agree with a democracy if that's the case?"

"It's not our duty to agree or not. We're soldiers, Hayuri. We just have to accept our orders."

"Don't say that!" Hayuri gritted her teeth. "I can't just rat out on them when their fighting for justice. They just want a better life for everyone!"

"Well, they're wrong." Killua said and watched Hayuri's confused face. "You were raised in a country with a democracy as well, right? However, there was poverty all around you, wasn't there? On the other hand, I know of monarchies that have no poverty at all. That's because is doesn't matter what kind of political system you have, the people on the top will always live at the expenses of everyone else. If the country is rich, common people won't be poor, but if it's not.."

"You're saying that there's nothing they can do?" Hayuri frowned. "You want them to stop trying because it may not end well?"

"If they go ahead, many will die and, in a couple years, will be back to where they are now." Killua commented as he leaned on a tree. "This country does not have a good economic layout. Either business men, religious institutions, the military, the state, or whatever group that gets the power, will end up living a rich live at the expense of the rest."

"But they cannot just stop trying! You heard him; they are practically starving! And we are living inside a damn palace that runs on their taxes!" Hayuri growled. "I feel like quitting this job."

"Don't be foolish!" Killua hissed. "We all do what we can in order to live a good life. Will you live in poverty just because otherwise it **might** be at some expense of other people?"

"Well, I have lived in poverty before and I'm not scared to live like that again." Hayuri crossed her arms in front of her. "Anyways, I don't plan to be poor again. However, I don't think I can work for someone who starves their country."

Killua sighed. Hayuri seemed like the classic idealistic person that would sometimes let ideas cloud their choices.

"Listen, Hayuri." Killua said with a serious face. "You can agree with them, but what will you do for now? Starve as well?" He said and Hayuri didn't respond. "Think about it, if you quit your job, would it help them? I suggest you stay out of this and look after yourself. For now. Please?"

Hayuri stood there for a moment and thought about it. Would it truly make any difference if she quit? Also, she would not see much of Killua if that was the case. She growled and closed her eyes.

"All, right. I will let things be... for now." She said and looked away. "I also don't want to stop seeing you... however I might change my mind."

She said and heard Killua take a sharp breath in. She wondered what his face looked like, but didn't dare look his way.

"Me neither." He said with a soft voice. "Come on, let's get going."

"Wait." Hayuri said and held his arm before he could take a full step away. "What about what we found out? What are you going to do?"

Killua cursed under his breath. He thought she had forgotten that they were actually spying on them. He agreed with what she had said; with everything. However, he knew he had a duty to fulfill. He could not just throw away this job or work against it. He needed to get as close to the king as possible. His father would not forgive failure, much less if it was due to some idealistic ideas, which an assassin shouldn't even have in the first place. Since when did he have those, anyways? He didn't remember ever questioning such things before...

"Hey!" She shook his shoulder lightly and he turned to look at her. She looked a little tense and had a slight frown on her face.

"Sorry." Killua mumbled and took a step back. "I agree with you, Hayuri. However, I promised my family I would do this. I won't let them down."

Hayuri's eyes widened. On one hand, she noticed that Killua seemed kind of weary of what her reaction would be. She was taken aback by that and didn't like it one bit. She would never attack him or something! On the other hand, she had completely forgotten that she had promised to complete a job for the contract hunters that had taken her in. She owed them her life and her purpose and, therefore, needed to keep this job. She would not fail them. Hayuri extended her arm and took hold of Killua's hand, to which he almost jerked away.

"Don't." She said and held his other hand as well. "Don't look at me that way. I don't want to be your enemy. I will go along with this. Don't worry about it."

Killua released a breath and felt his heartbeat slow down. He had been deeply scared to be enemies with her. He knew Hayuri wasn't strong enough to beat him; he could kill her if he wanted to, with a little struggle maybe, but he was certain that he could. What had scared him was the thought of even considering doing that. It scared him that she could become an enemy to his mission. He was incredibly relieved that it had not come to that, because he would not have known what to do. At that moment, Killua realized how much he cared about Hayuri. She had grown on him to the point, in which, if it came to be, he wouldn't know which to choose; his duty to his family or her life. It unsettled him and worried him but, at the same time, it brought a warm feeling to his chest.

"Thank you." He said with the warmest smile that Hayuri had ever seen on him. She furiously blushed and looked the other way as she spoke.

"O-okay. Come on, let's go." She muttered and both sprinted away and back to the rendezvous place.

\- time skip -

Hayuri sat stretched her body as she lay on her bed and looked out at the shining morning sun. She was glad that they had been given a day off for two reasons.

First of all, the last two days had been filled with work. Their discovering on the rebel network had unleashed a series of disputes within the royal guard leaders. Some had wanted to wipe every rebel away, while some had suggested to wait and have a higher chance of catching more of them. In the end, they decided to wait to have a better chance to wipe them all out and keep the monarchy save as a whole. However, they had instructed half of the guards to keep an eye on the most important monumental buildings. However, that task would be carried on by the trainees in shifts. Everyone would be assigned to a place twice a week and they would have to be undercover. After two days of planning and strategizing they had finally made all the necessary arrangements. Killua had been in charge of organizing their duties and he had put the both of them together for every shift. Hayuri wondered if he did that because he liked working with her or because they were friends.

Secondly, but not least importantly, today was Killua's birthday. Hayuri was surprised at how fast time had seemed to pass; they had met almost 6 months ago. On the other hand, she felt as though she had known him for years.

Hayuri walked to the bathroom and took a much needed long shower. She put on black leggings, brown combat boots, a long-sleeved shirt and a thick grey jacket. She tied her hair up in her usual high ponytail and picket up her wallet. She walked out to the hallway and headed towards Killua's room. She knocked on his door three times and hoped that he was already up. It was past 10 am and it was their day off, but she knew Killua was usually an early person. Not five seconds later, the door was opened by a smirking Killua. He was dressed in gray shorts and a sweatshirt. Hayuri wondered if he ever got cold.

"Hey."

"Hey." She smiled and put her arms around him. "Happy birthday."

Killua hugged her back for a second and then pulled back.

"You remembered." He said with a slightly surprised expression.

"Of course I did." Hayuri rolled her eyes. "Come on, we're going out today. Let at least the two of us will celebrate."

"All right. Wait a second." Killua walked back in and, not half a minute later, came out with his regular snickers on and a blue jacket. "Let's go."

Both got on a bus and rode into town. Ten minutes later Hayuri signaled him to get off and Killua followed her into a small street he didn't recognize.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see." She said and they were soon standing in front of a candy shop. "I decided I'd buy you something sweet. You can choose anything you like!"

"Ahh, you shouldn't have said that." Killua smirked and walked into the shop. He turned around and, before he disappearing through the door, he looked back at her. "I hope you have lots of savings, I can spend a fortune on candy."

When they walked out, Hayuri had a slightly distressed look on her face and Killua had at least four big bags filled with candy.

"Damn you, you spent half my savings." She sighed. "You better enjoy that candy."

"Don't worry, I will. And if you need money later on I can cover up for you, don't worry. Come on, I know a spot."

Both walked down the main street until they got to the shoreline and sat down. As they sat in silence watching the sea and the birds, Killua started munching on his candy like a kid, a happy smile adorning his features.

"I'm glad we got do to something different for your birthday."

"I don't mind. I've never celebrated before."

"What?!" Hayuri's eyes widened. "Never before?"

"Not really." Killua shrugged. "My family always considered it to be unimportant."

"Wow. Even back with the hunters that took me in we would do a little gathering for birthdays. You'd be surprised that as strong and intimidating as they are, they really put some effort in those kind of things."

"Well, if they lose their focus doing that, they can't be that strong." Killua said thinking back to how his brother always put emphasis on how distractions would lower the chances of building strength.

"Hah, you wouldn't know. They're stronger than you; considerably stronger than you. Any of the leaders would be able to beat the crap out both us simultaneously."

"Really?" Killua seemed taken aback by that. If they were that strong, that meant that they were close to his father's level. Very few people managed that.

"Yes, now back to the topic at hand. Say anything that you wish to do and we'll do it. It's your birthday after all."

"Haa.." Killua thought for a while creasing his eyebrows. "I can't think of anything. I'm content sitting here and eating candy."

Hayuri rolled her eyes and noticed that he had already eaten a whole bag of candy. A sudden cold wind made her shiver and regret not bringing a scarf. She pulled at her hair pin and released her hair, in an attempt to cover up her neck. Killua tuned his head to look at her and felt his breath be caught on his throat. He didn't remember ever seeing her with her hair down. It cascaded on her shoulders, reaching her elbows and framing her face. Her eyes shone with contempt as a small smile built on her lips. Her brown skin looked soft to his eyes and he felt like touching it, just to make sure it felt the way it looked. Killua had to admit it: she looked pretty. She looked at him in the eye and Killua felt his heart beat faster. He felt unexplainably drawn towards her.

"Come on, how can there be nothing that you want?" Hayuri insisted. "It's your special day; say anything, even if it's stupid or ridiculous."

Killua looked into her eyes, his mind caught in a swirl of emotions. He knew something that he wanted right now. That he had wanted for a while now, even if he hadn't admitted it. He wanted to kiss her. Would it be all right of he did? Would things change between them? Would he go somewhere he wasn't sure he was allowed to go? It was his birthday... was it even all right to ask for a kiss? Could something like that between them be taken as an isolated event? Would it hurt to try? He wanted taste and feel her lips so bad... Killua gulped and opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

"Mister!" A small child, not older than four, pulled on his jacket. "You're eating too much candy. My mother says that you'll get cavities if you do that."

"Well, who cares what your mother thinks." Killua growled, clearly upset at the interruption. The boy was shocked at the answer and his eyes watered up.

"Killua!" Hayuri scolded him and turned to the kid. She patted him on the shoulder lightly. "Don't worry... he didn't mean it. I'll make sure he doesn't eat that much. Thank you for worrying, pal."

Hayuri gave the kid a toothy grin and the kid half smiled back. He thanked her and turned to leave. When the kid was out of hearing range, she turned back to look at him.

"Jeez, Killua. Don't you know how to treat children? The poor kid was just trying to give you some advice."

"Well... I might've been a little rude, but I didn't ask for his opinion"

"Yes, I know. But it's a frigging **kid** , he doesn't understand that jet."

"Well, maybe I did his parents a favor and taught him. He'll get over it." Killua shrugged.

"You're unbelievable." Hayuri sighed and turned to look back to where the kid had left. "Please be more thoughtful next time you're around a child."

"Ok, whatever." Killua said, clearly bothered by the situation.

After that, Killua's swirl of emotions had calmed down and he asked her to go sightseeing. She laughed at his choice, saying that it was out of character, but complied nonetheless. To say the truth, Killua had said the first thing that came to his mind. So, in the end, they spent the rest of the day walking around and talking about nonsense. They visited a couple museums and parks, some catching their interest, some being utterly boring. When they arrived back to the palace and Killua entered his room, he had finally some time to think. He had been upset at the time, but now he thought he had been lucky. Had not the child interrupted him, he would've asked Hayuri for a kiss. He groaned and slapped his forehead. Did he have no shame? How could he even consider that? If he had said that, he would've never been able to look at her in the face again! There must've been something messing with his head at the time, for he was not impulsive like that. On the other hand, he had to concentrate on his mission. Having friends was one thing, but anything beyond that was completely out of the question.

He **had** to get a grip.


	17. Nen users

Chapter 15

"Don't you dare move."

Killua said after closing the door of the narrow closet and as he leaned closer to Hayuri. He immediately noticed the situation they were in and put his forearm on the wall beside her head to put as much distance as possible between them.

He cursed the moment she had chosen to enter that door, since he was extremely conscious of how close she was from him. How was definitely not used to being closer to people. He and Hayuri had hugged a couple times, but their personal space had been - somehow - preserve. Now, they were forced to be so close that his body could almost touch hers. He looked away from her, trying to keep at least distance in that matter. However, not long after, he felt her hands move to pull him forward and he turned his head to look at her.

"Your damn fluffy hair is poking out through the grille." she whispered as she also turned to look at him.

Killua was startled by how close their faces were right now; her big green eyes were locked into his and he couldn't seem to look away from them. The faint light entering through the ventilation grille shone right on Hayuri's face, and it made it look sort of surreal. Her eyes shone in the surrounding darkness and the brown color of her tanned skin seemed deeper. They were so close, that he could feel her breasts brushing his chest and it sent chills down his arms, which suddenly ached to bring her closer. They were so close, that his nose was almost touching hers and he could smell their mixed breaths in between them.

"AHAHAHAHAHA! Damn, that was funny!" The loud voice in the corridor brought Killua back to reality and he immediately turned his head away from Hayuri. He could feel her move her hand to cover her face in either disgust or embarrassment. He felt the hand on his nape slightly move and her fingers tingled him, sending shivers down his spine.

Killua tried to calm down, but the feeling of her breasts brushing against him had his mind on edge. He every time she moved, even if just a millimeter, he felt the tingling of her body against him. He wanted to move his own body to 'accidentally' feel her further, but he could not bring himself to do such thing to someone he cared about. He had to close his hands into fists in order to keep them still. He could swear he felt her take a deeper breath in, her face almost touching his shoulder, as if taking in his scent. He unconsciously leaned a centimeter closer to her shoulder and breathed her scent in. Had she just shivered? Was he imagining things, in this drowsy state? Suddenly, Hayuri shifted next to him, moving closer. Killua's heartbeat went even faster, is possible. Was she going to...?

"I'm going to lean forward and see if we're clear." She whispered into his ear, making goose bumps go across his neck and back. Killua managed to nod his head before she leaned into him. If they were too close before, they were beyond that now. Her breasts were pressed against him and her lips were pressing into the skin of his shoulder as she tried to look outside. Killua closed his eyes and frowned, trying to force himself into place. And then her lips moved.

"It's clear. Let's go."

She moved to put some distance between them and Killua felt his self-control slip away. He brought his hands up and put them on her sides, bringing her closer to him once again. He buried his head into her shoulder and breathed in, heavily. He breathed out as he tightened his grip on her for a second.

"Stay." He said and trailed his lips along her shoulder and softly bit down on her neck. Hayuri sharply breathed in and moved her head to grant him more access. Killua took the hint, so he kissed and sucked on her neck and collar bone, as he heard her breathing pattern become more erratic. After a couple seconds, he moved away and looked at her face. Her eyes were half lidded, clouded with lust, her cheeks were flushed and her lips were parted. She pulled his head to her and kissed him on the lips greedily, to which Killua complied, biting and sucking on her lips. Their kiss became more heated and their tongues began an almost desperate dance around each other. Her arms roamed over his body and he moved a hand to squeeze her breast, which earned him a moan. He grunted at that and pushed his body into her with more force, thrusting his hips into her as he brought her legs up around his hips. Hayuri moaned more loudly this time, as she felt his full erection on her, and bit his earlobe. Killua hissed in pleasure, and felt her move her hips against him. He pulled her away a bit and let his hand travel down into her leggings and underwear. He almost moaned in pleasure when he felt how _wet_ she was. He moved a finger into her folds and Hayuri breathed in sharply at the contact.

The next thing Killua knew, he was panting and sweating on a bed. Alone. In his bedroom in the palace. _Another fucking dream._ Killua cursed under his breath. His mind had the terrible habit to mix his memories with different outcomes when he dreamed. And in almost three months -since Killua's birthday - he had dreamt about her _in that way_ at least 10 times. However, his dreams had never gone this far. He had always dreamed about kissing her or letting his hands roam on her body. Never _in_ her body. He wanted to get up, start his day and forget about the images roaming in his head, as he had done the previous times. However, this dream had been just too much for him. Killua would've reprimanded himself for doing this while thinking of a friend - his only friend. But the desire running through his body and his lust clouded mind didn't let him question his action as he relieved himself.

\- time skip -

"Hey." Hayuri smiled as she saw him approaching her. He was wearing jeans and a green jacket. She chuckled at that, since she was wearing green leggings and a black jacket. "Someone might think we agreed on wearing these colors today. Slept well?"

"Yeah." Killua said as he averted his eyes, a small blush on his face as he remembered what he had done this morning. "You?"

"I hadn't slept this deep for a long time. I feel great!" Hayuri cheered.

"That's good." Killua answered as he sat stood next to her in the garden. "Are you done with your morning training?"

"I just finished. What about you?"

"Yeah, me too." He smiled. "Today we have guarding duty."

"We do. The defense ministry, right?" Hayuri said and Killua nodded.

Soon they met the rest of their squad and Killua explained the plan thoroughly.

"Listen. We have to make sure nothing happens here, as usual. Remember that this ministry in essential to the monarchy and that, for this reason, it's been placed outside of the urban area. This makes the building a probable target, since it lacks the situation the others have concerning security. Also, the blueprints you were given are only as a reference, since many changes have been made in the building. Keep your guard up and make sure to not let anyone be suspicious of you. We're acting as mere visitors who want some papers, since the rebels may have people on the inside. You all have your cover prepared, right?"

Every one nodded, so they set off immediately. They got to the place 20 minutes later and Killua assigned everyone to go in pairs usual. Killua and Hayuri were together, as usual, and they decided to check the second floor. They walked around for a while and did a couple lines doing their 'papers'. Suddenly, while they had just gotten to another line, Hayuri felt Killua tense next to her and immediately caught felt the disturbance in the aura of their surroundings.

"Nen users are entering the building." Killua stated with a whisper. "And they're not one of us."

Hayuri nodded and immediately moved to a guard. "Hello. Excuse me. Where is the toilet?"

The man gave her directions and she thanked him. She moved to Killua and took hold of his hand.

"Honey, please come with me. I don't want to get lost." she said with fake puppy eyes.

"Agh... we'll have to get in line again."

"We're last anyways!" Hayuri said and dragged him out of the room. "Come on."

Killua looked back to make sure they were clear and saw the guard give him a sympathetic look. Killua faked distress and allowed Hayuri to pull him to the hallway.

"The damsel in danger role does definitely not suit you." Killua muttered as he led the way through the corridor.

"What role does?"

"I don't know. Maybe tomboyish warrior or something along those lines." He said and Hayuri pouted. They went down to the first floor and walked towards the east wing. Half a minute later Hayuri spoke.

"We're close."

"Keep your guard up. They're not weak."

Hayuri nodded as they stopped in front of a closed door. The nen users were inside and Killua crouched down as he raised four fingers at Hayuri and she nodded in agreement. Four nen users might've been a little too much for the two of them to handle, so they released a sigh when they felt two other members of their squad approaching. When they got there, Killua signaled for them to follow him and they all walked a good ten meters away.

"From now on, this guard mission has gone to a whole different level." He whispered. "We will follow them and find out what they're doing, but avoid fighting at all costs. However, after gauging their strength, I can say that they probably knew we were here from the moment they stepped into the building. You will probably have to fight them. If you do, try to capture them alive. If you cannot do that, try to get as much info as you can and finish them. We don't want the rebels to find out how much we know about them. If they do, we'll be doomed and a confrontation will be inevitable. As soon as they come out, I will inform you how to further proceed."

One of them had a hatsu that allowed him to observe the door from where they were. They waited in silence for five minutes until the door was opened. The four nen users walked out and towards the entrance hall. The four royal guards followed them until they exited the building. They all inwardly cursed as they watched them part ways in pairs. Killua saw that on one of those pairs was a slightly stronger user. He turned around to whisper to them.

"Hayuri and I will follow the long haired one, he's the strongest. You two follow the other two. If you need a transport call directly to our superior and ask for it. If there is an emergency we can communicate through our earpiece. We will meet back at the palace if everything goes as planned."

They all separated in the designated pairs and Hayuri was suddenly worried, especially at the fact that one of them was almost as strong as Killua. She wanted to voice her thoughts to Killua, but she obviously could not at the moment. They followed them into the woods, further away from the city. Hayuri and Killua locked eyes for a moment, knowing that they would engage in battle any time. Killua was about to take a step forward, but Hayuri held his arm.

"Be careful." She mouthed and Killua immediately recognized the alarmed look that she wore. He nodded and both kept following the pair.

A couple minutes later, when they had walked far enough as to not harm any civilians, they all stopped. Killua looked around and saw that they had stopped just next to a lake. He weighed the chance that one of them might use the water to his advantage and decided to beware of it.

"Well. What do we have here?" One of the men said and turned around. "Monarchy dogs?"

"I guess rebel trash can smell it in the air, despite their stench." Killua smirked.

Hayuri inwardly cursed, she did not want to fight these people! She looked at the both of them and decided that their strengths combined were the same as hers and Killua's. They would probably have to kill them, since it would be hard to capture them. However, she decided that maybe that was the best course of action. The rebel cause would not be further known to the monarchy, and both men would probably save themselves a lot of pain and torture. As she thought this, Killua had tried to ask them a couple questions, which were obviously answered with snickering and ironies.

"Well, I guess we shouldn't avoid the inevitable. I want to be back for dinner." Killua smirked and Hayuri felt like slapping him for his rudeness. She actually admired these people. How could she even bring herself to kill them? Suddenly a simultaneous attack was launched at the both of them, and each dodged to opposite directions.

It appeared that the both of them were reluctant to show their full strength with a second opponent present. Killua immediately started exchanging blows with the man, who was just slightly weaker than he was. They had blocked every hit for a whole minute, when Killua connected a nen infused punch at him and the man was thrown back a good 8 meters. Killua stole a quick glance at Hayuri who had received a strong hit in the jaw. He cursed as he remembered that the man she was against was stronger than her. He decided to use his hatsu.

Killua jumped at him and decided to use some electricity to knock him out for a couple hours. However, and to his surprise, the man hissed and jumped away. He ran a couple meters and turned around. He had a slightly higher endurance to electricity than usual, but he could knock him out no problem. It was clear that that one shock had hurt him. He was about to go at him again, when the man changed the course of his aura. Suddenly, a great amount of water was thrown all over the place, leaving a layer of water on the ground a d both of them soaked to the bone.

When Hayuri and jumped away from Killua as they dodged the attack, she found herself in front of the weakest opponent, who was slightly stronger than she was. She dodged hit to the jaw and crouched sending a low kick, which he avoided by jumping. He came down at her with a kick to her face. She jumped out of the way and stopped a couple meters away.

The man molded his aura in a different way, and she knew he would use zetsu right away. He took out an iron bar that looked pretty regular and she frowned in clear confusion. Everything soon became clear to her, when it stretched and hit het square in the jaw. She rolled away, spit some blood and stood up. She moved just in time to avoid getting hit once again by the nen infused iron stick, which had changed its form to a curve. The damned stick was truly fast and it was harder than getting hit by a regular Shu enhanced object. She barely dodged once again and wondered how on earth such a simple hatsu could be so effective.

Hayuri decided to put her own hatsu on the table, and she pumped aura through her body. The next attack that she avoided was considerably slower than her. The man raised his eyebrows in slight surprise and she took the chance. She forced aura to the muscles in her legs and jumped at him at an incredible speed. She stretched her hand to touch his right leg and the man almost stumbled to the floor. She punched him in the gut and was about to deliver a second hit, but she suddenly felt herself be soaked by water.

Hayuri heard Killua curse and wondered how his fight was going, but couldn't put more thought into that. She blocked a roundhouse kick to the ribs with her forearm and tried to elbow the man on the side. He dodged and grabbed her arm, swinging her around and slamming her against a tree. Hayuri felt the air leave her lungs and gasped in pain, inwardly cursing her inability to use her hatsu more often.

Killua, on his side, wanted to ask Hayuri to leave, so that she wouldn't get caught up in his electric attack through the water. However, before he could open his mouth, his opponent jumped at him trying to grab his arms. Killua wondered what he was trying, but he sure as hell wouldn't let him grab him. He dodged him countless times, but his foot slightly slipped and his movement was slowed down. His arm got caught in an iron grip and the man smirked.

"Got ya." He said. Killua punched and kicked him four or five times, but the man didn't budge. "Five."

The man said and jumped back, his face bruising already from the punches he had received. Killua assumed he had been counting seconds and had a bad feeling. He quickly glanced her way, noticing that she had been just slammed against a tree. He decided to end this now, but first he needed to increase his distance with Hayuri. He turned to run away from her and looked back to tell her to do the same.

"Hayuri! Ge-" he was interrupted by a sudden force that pushed him to the ground. It was so oppressive, that he was face down on the ground and couldn't stand up. He couldn't talk, heck, he could barely breath. He looked at his opponent and noticed that he was sitting on the ground, still as a rock. Killua looked to the side and saw Hayuri shakily standing up. Before he could worry about her, her opponent ran at him at full speed. He widened his eyes, knowing that there was no way he could move.

She stood up, expecting another attack. However, her opponent turned away from her and ran at Killua, who was crouching on the ground. She knew right away that there was something wrong with him and he wouldn't be able to move. She ran at him, hoping that whatever attack he received would be cushioned by his aura but something happened, which Hayuri was not prepared for. Instead of hitting Killua, her opponent lifted him over his shoulder and threw his with full force at the lake. His body splashed and sank towards the bottom. Hayuri's eyes widened and she ran at him, but was stopped by her opponent.

"Where do you think you're going?" He said as he jumped before her.

"I'll let you go! Just let me save him!" She desperately said.

"Let us go?" He chuckled. "You don't know your place, you monarchy dog."

Hayuri's mind went overdrive, the excess of adrenaline increasing her concentration by tenfold. Without wasting any more time, she sent aura through her body and, increasing her speed, touched him in the knees with her zetsu, making him loose balance and fall to the ground. He was about to push himself up when she punched his face and kicked his leg with all her might, making sure his movements would be hindered. He jumped away in time to avoid another hit, but having an injured leg, he was too slow to dodge again. Hayuri used her zetsu on him again, this time on his hips, forcing him to stand still. As she did this, she grabbed a twig from the floor and used Shu as she stabbed the man on the neck. His eyes widened and she forced herself to stab him again, making sure to destroy his jugular artery.

Without wasting time, she turned around and forced more aura into her legs, running at Killua's opponent, who had been sitting on the same spot, but was now standing up. She tried to stab him as well, but he grabbed her hand and twisted her around. He let go of her and sent her at least 10 meters to the opposite side of the forest. When she stood up, the man was sitting like a rock again, intently looking at her. She assumed that this position was necessary to stop Killua's movements, a restriction to make his hatsu stronger. At that moment she widened her eyes. She stood still and closed her eyes for a moment, knowing that every second in this battle was critical. When she opened them, she used her hatsu to increase her speed and launched herself at him, taking hold of one arm and one leg.

"Aghhhhhhhhh!" The man said as he felt sharp pain through his thighs. He looked down and saw that he had a deep injury on those limbs. Hayuri took the moment to punch his chin and kick him in the gut and the head. The man fell down on, holding his weight on his good arm, and she picked another twig. She stabbed him in the back of the head three times, thanking her luck that he hadn't been fast enough to use ken.

She let go of the twig and looked around for a second, making sure that both her enemies were down. They were, and she ran towards the lake, hoping that Killua was still alive. How long had she taken to win? One minute? Five? Had Killua had the chance to take a breath in before sinking? It certainly hadn't seemed that way. She splashed as she entered the water and frantically searched for him. She spotted him not far from her and was by his side in an instant.

Hayuri took Killua out of the water and ran back to the forest. She laid his unconscious body on the ground and put her ear on his chest. There was still a heartbeat, but it was faint. Hayuri sat on his hips and started pushing on his chest with her hands and blowing air into his mouth. She didn't really know too well how to do CPR, but she was desperate.

"Come on, Killua! Wake up!" She kept on trying to revive him for a whole minute, but he didn't budge. When she spoke again, her voice was broken in despair. "Don't you dare die on me! I won't forgive either of us if that happens!"

She kept on pushing on his chest and she leaned on him again, her lips just centimeters away from his.

"Come back, Killua." She whispered and pushed air into his lungs again, this time with full force. She was pushed back up by Killua's hands as he abruptly sat up and started coughing violently. Hayuri didn't move from her spot on his lap and watched him with tears streaming down her face.

"D-damn, Hayuri. You're not supposed to blow that hard. You almost killed me." Killua said with a raspy voice.

Hayuri said nothing and simply hugged him with all her might. She sat there on top of him for a while and finally pulled back to lock eyes with him.

"I was so scared. I-I thought I would never see you again." She said as tears kept streaming down her green eyes. "I'm so happy that you're alive. You don't know how much it means to me."

"I can guess how much it does. I'd feel the same if it had been the other way around." He smiled.

Hayuri was at a loss of words as her eyes widened and she stared into his blue orbs, which were also glossy. Only at that moment, Hayuri realized what position they had ended up after hugging. He was sitting with his legs crossed and she sat on his lap. Her arms were placed on his shoulders and his arms were holding her waist. Their faces were only a palm apart and completely leveled as they looked into each others eyes.

Hayuri's heart was still pounding in her chest at the contact with his lips, her own tingling at the memory. She looked at Killua's lips and gulped down as her mind went into a twirl of thoughts. She wanted to kiss him, feel him, and touch him so much. Her body was about to move on its own when there was a sudden voice through their earpiece. Both jerked away from each other in surprise and dreaded the next words they heard.

"Killua, Hayuri. We just lost a man and one of our enemies escaped."


	18. Guard Duty

CHAPTER 18

Hayuri ran through the luxurious hallways of the royal palace as she dodged other running trainees and authorities. After the rebel had managed to get away from them, hell had broken loose. The most obvious course of action for the monarchy was to immediately wipe out the rebel, since they no longer could gain anything from acting silently. On the other hand, the most logical tactic for the rebels was to strike immediately, before the monarchy massacred them. Therefore, the royal guard and the military had decided to work together and make everything in their power to kill every rebel out there.

Hayuri turned on a corner, almost colliding with someone. She barely dodged and kept running to the armory at full speed. As she arrived, she was met by her superior, who allowed her to pick a weapon of her choice. She took a double edged dagger, since she was familiar with its use. She made sure it was sharpened and made few moves with it. When she was certain that she was comfortable with its state, she tied the dagger next to her pouch and left the room in a hurry.

As she ran out of the palace, she remembered the orders they had been given. They were supposed to make sure nothing was out of order and execute anyone on the streets, since a curfew had just been announced by the defense ministry. They had announced that there was a public enemy about to strike and try to destroy their nation. No one was to be underestimated; not elders, not children. Everyone was a threat to the monarchy at this time. Hayuri inwardly grimaced at the fact the countless rebels would certainly die tonight. Not only did she understand and support the rebels predicament, but she also feared that innocent people that had nothing to do with them would get caught in the situation. She cursed and wondered if there was anything she could do to help them without endangering her own mission.

As she stepped out into the night, she got on a war helicopter that would take her to the district that she'd been assigned to. She looked around to find out that she was mostly surrounded by soldiers from the military, who had no knowledge of nen. There were two other nen users above; she had seen one of them before on her training. When they landed, everyone was instructed to guard a certain street. She was glad that the other nen users had been instructed to watch streets far away from her own. Maybe this way she would get a chance to help someone...

Hayuri got to her post in two minutes and leaned on the wall as her gut clenched in anticipation. She didn't want to kill any civilians. She wanted to fucking quit this job and do something she felt right about. She would do so as soon as her mission was completed. However, for now, she would most definitely not blindly follow orders. She was thankful that she had been assigned to the post by herself. She decided to do her best to keep people save when there was no one around; she after all had nen and was capable of feeling someone's presence.

A couple minutes later she saw a man walk by in a hurry, clearly worried about his current situation. Hayuri jumped high, landed next the man and started walking with him. The man turned to face her in alarm and was about to say something, but she beat him to it.

"If you want to get home safely, take only inner alleyways. If you don't, you'll be shot on sight. Be careful."

He looked relieved, thanked her and quickly scurried away into the closest alleyway. Hayuri went back to her post and waited. She could hear gunshots all around her and felt sick to her stomach thinking about all the deaths that would occur tonight. She watched as another figure approached her. It was a woman and looked to be around 6 months pregnant. Hayuri walked closer to her, in an attempt to offer a helping hand, but felt a second presence walking her way. It was one of the soldiers that had arrived with her.

Her eyes widened in horror, as the man raised his gun and shot woman in the head. She went down with a loud THUD and Hayuri wondered if she could ever feel more despicable. The soldier gave her thumbs up and turned around to leave. Hayuri felt like shouting some insults at him but pressed her lips. She watched the poodle of blood surrounding the woman grow bigger and bigger, tears threatening to pour from her green eyes. She took a deep breath and hoped that no one would walk down her street again. She wondered if Killua was all right and if he was having a hard time as well.

As the night went by, she managed to spot three more people moving around, and gave them instructions on how to get home safely. Her mind managed to stay on overdrive for the whole seven hours that she stood on her post and, at the same time, keep a collected and calm facade. When she was thinking that, if she didn't move and do something else, she would lose her mind. When her guard shift ended, she was glad and walked back to the helicopter. However, as soon as she got there, her hopes were crushed and she wished she was still standing on her post. Hayuri, along with the other soldiers and guards, had been asked to help clean up the mess.

At dawn, the massacre had been substations. As Hayuri helped pick up the bodies of the dead, she felt like throwing up. There were people of all ages lined up on the floor, shot and killed with no apparent struggle. There were elders, children, even infants. How could even a toddler be suspicious of building some sort of revolution? Hayuri tightened her fists until her nails cut into the skin of her palms. Many of the dead bodies belonged to people who had been clearly under the line of poverty. Of course, they had probably had no place to return home to. This however, hadn't seemed to stop the soldiers and guards from murdering them on sight. Hayuri felt deeply related to this people, as memories of her own time on the streets came to mind. Since this was a poor country on a poor continent and with a strong authority's monarchy, no international media gave a shit. She knew that the probable outcome would be the people would be too scared to even peep at what had happened. She felt disgusted at the fact. She hoped that whatever rebellion was being planned would, somehow, be successful.

Hayuri watched as some soldiers walked around, talked and some even _joked,_ as if what had concurred was no big deal. Hayuri wanted to cry, not only because of the dead innocents, but also because of the lack of humanity of these people, who called themselves the 'keepers of peace'. Hayuri scoffed bitterly and scowled. _Yeah, right._

After a couple hours of piling up corpses, they had to burn them. The leaders of the country were **worried** that their people might get sick if the bodies were left to rot on the streets. Hayuri was so disgusted at the fact and the stench of burnt flesh, that she didn't even have the energy to despise them. She just wanted to get back to her room and be let alone.

When midday finally struck, she was given permission to go back to the palace and get a 7 hour rest. She would have to go back and do another shift afterwards, since the curfew would last at least another day.

As Hayuri walked down the hallways back to her room, she picked up a sandwich and ate it while on her way. She barely managed to swallow half of it, her usual good appetite now demolished by what she had experienced these past hours. When she closed her door behind her, she took of her clothing and threw it on the floor. With a sigh, she set her alarm in time, dreading that she would have to go through another whole day of this shit. She slowly lay down on her bed and turned on her side. She closed her eyes to get some sleep, but couldn't calm down her emotions. After suppressing her guilt and anger for the whole night and morning, tears started to desperately run down her face. Hayuri cried for a long time until fatigue finally allowed slumber to take over.

-Time skip -

When the second day of curfew was finally over, Killua went to the dining hall to eat something. He sat down and looked around to find that Hayuri was nowhere in sight. He frowned. He knew her well, and was certain that the deaths of innocents must've had her on the verge of tears and rage the whole time. She probably was sulking on her anger and sorrow, deeply affected by the past day's events. Killua, on his side, had been trained since he was a child in assassination, so he had been somehow used to the deaths of people, innocent or not. He had always been indifferent to the struggles of other people. However, this time around, the knowledge that what had happened was unethical and a great injustice, brought a sense of guilt in him. He had been reluctant when killing someone this time and had needed to force himself as he did it.

Apparently, he was not the only one who had some regret at what had happened. Although some trainees were joking and talking as usual, many of them were mostly quiet. There was an unusual deadly silence around.

Killua finished his dinner quickly and walked out of the place. He didn't think twice as he headed towards Hayuri's room. When he got there, he knocked on the door a couple times and waited for a minute. When Hayuri opened the door, Killua felt his chest tighten. There were bags under her eyes and she looked as if she'd been crying a lot. Her hair was messier than usual and her eyes looked sad.

"Come in." Hayuri said smiling softly and moved aside to let him in.

Killua entered her room, which was surprisingly clean, despite her current emotional state. Hayuri walked to the bed and threw herself on it, Killua following her example. They stayed there for a couple minutes, laying next to each other, until Killua turned to look at her.

"How have you been?"

"Well.. not exactly good." She smiled bitterly. "I'm currently all anger and regret."

"Was it your first kill?" Killua wondered aloud.

"I've never killed anybody for a job."

"Never before?" Killua looked surprised as he raised his body, holding his weight on his forearms. "What did you do when you encountered someone during curfew?"

"I told them how to get home safely." Hayuri said without a second thought.

Killua felt dread wash over him. On one hand, he felt ashamed at himself. He had never even considered not following orders before. His personal feelings and apprehensions had always been put aside. On the other hand, if word came out that she had helped them out, she would be in serious trouble. Not only had she disobeyed a direct order, but she had also acted against the monarchy.

"Did someone see you?" He said with worry.

"I don't think so. I wouldn't have killed anybody anyways." She answered stubbornly and both stayed silent for a while.

"And what do you mean you've never killed before? Aren't you a contract hunter?"

"I only worked for them as a payment for what they did for me. So I only took jobs that didn't require killing and that were targeted on people who did dirty deeds." Hayuri answered as she looked into his eyes with determination. "The only time I killed someone was when you were drowning and I had to finish the fight quickly. But I did it to save the both of us, not as part of a job."

"Don't you regret it?" Killua questions. "Killing them."

"I wished I didn't have to do it, but I would do it again if it meant saving your life. You're important to me; you're my only friend." Hayuri said and both stayed quiet for a little while, looking up to the ceiling. Killua had a faint blush on his cheeks and, noticing this, Hayuri felt her own face grow hotter. She decided to change the subject. "I assume that yesterday you did your part as you were asked to."

"I did." Killua said looking away and sighing. "I now feel more guilt than I did before. However, I have never had a choice of my own before. I've been raised this way; my own thoughts cannot interfere with my job. My duty always comes first."

"Well, you should get to choose now, don't you?" Hayuri said and Killua raised his eyebrows in question. "You're not a child now. You're nineteen. You should make choices that will make you happy and allow you to build your own future."

Killua looked into her green eyes, which shone not only with tiredness, but also with resolve. Killua had forgotten how much he admired that of her. She always did her best to be who she wanted to be and didn't bow to no one's authority. Killua, on his side, usually took shit from no one. Nonetheless, the situation changes completely when it was about his family. There was no way the he could disobey his father and ruin the little relationship they had. He wondered if Hayuri would still give the same advice if she were to know who his family truly was. Killua wondered if he would ever be able to stand up for his own beliefs and wishes, stand up against his family. Probably not. Also, if he ever did, they wouldn't leave him alone and Illumi would probably kill anyone who was a 'bad influence' for him.

"You don't understand." Killua sat on the bed as his bangs covered his eyes. "I have a huge burden on my shoulders. It's almost impossible for me to choose my own future. I wish I could stop doing what I was raised to do, I really do. I also wish I could tell you more about it, but I can't."

Hayuri felt like crying at his submissive tone, his head low and his hands closed into fists. She moved closer until she was sitting right next to him. She turned to face him and leaned closer as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Killua hugged her back with desperation and buried his head into her shoulder. Hayuri was surprised when she felt him tremble and he started crying on her shoulder. She'd never seen him show such emotions before and was taken aback. When she recovered from the shock she hugged him back and wondered what kind of things he had been forced to do. At that moment, Killua seems as if he carried to weight of one million sins on his shoulders.

Killua cried hard on Hayuri's shoulder, releasing all the repressed regret and self-hate he had been accumulating for his whole life. Hayuri held him for a long time, maybe an hour, until he calmed down.

"I was supposed to be the one to hold you." Killua muttered into her shoulder.

"Don't worry; you helped me by just staying here with me." Hayuri said caressing his upper back softly. "Besides, you've been acting strong for a long while, right? You deserve to break down under such pressure sometimes. You're just human, like everyone else."

"Thank you." Killua said hugging her tighter for a second and moving back to look at her, his hands still holding her shoulder. "I never thought I would ever find someone who I can truly be myself around."

"Oh my, I never thought the great Killua would step off of his pedestal and actually care about some commoner like me." Hayuri said smiling playfully and lightly punched his shoulder. Suddenly Hayuri's stomach grumbled and she looked down as she blushed a bit.

"Well, at least I don't have to tease you at all. You can do that just fine by yourself." He smirked.

"Hey! I'm just hungry, it shouldn't be something bad."

"Well, I'm not surprised that you are." He laughed a bit and then spoke in a more serious manner. "Have you eaten anything yet?"

"Ehhh... not for a while." Hayuri scratched the back of her head.

"Come on, let's go get you something. It won't do you any good to just lay here, get more depressed and starve yourself. Although, you could use losing some weight." Killua smirked and moved to dodge a hit aimed to his head.

"Oh, shut up. I'm perfectly fine in my weight and I don't pretend to be as skinny as a model and break every time I fight." Hayuri said nonchalantly, knowing perfectly well that Killua was just teasing her. She sat up as well and walked to a door on the wall. "Just let me get ready."

It was only then that Killua realized that she was wearing her pajamas; a baggy long sleeved shirt and long comfortable pants. She opened her closet, took out some clothes, and walked into the bathroom. Killua heard the shower be turned on and had to try to not let his mind wander. At that moment, as he waited for her and finally had a moment to stop and think, a realization came to him. A couple days ago, when she had pulled him out of the lake in which he had almost drowned, she had wanted to kiss him. He knew that his impression on the subject may not be objective, but he was almost sure. She had looked at his lips and bit her own. She had locked eyes with him and she had barely moved forwards, but had been interrupted when they received the bad news through their earpiece. What would've happened if they hadn't been interrupted? Would he have had the resolution to stop her if she did? He had promised himself that he would not let that kind of distraction get in the way of his mission. However, he himself had been feeling such a pull towards Hayuri, that he might've gotten lost in the feeling.

While his rational side was dreading the fact, his emotional one was jumping in joy at the possibility that she felt some sort of attraction as well. He was in the middle of his musings, when the door opened and Hayuri stepped out fully dressed.

"Damn. Now I'm hungry as hell." She said as she put on a jacket and walked to the door. "Come on now, let's get a juicy stake or something."

Killua cleared his mind and stood up, following her out of her room and into the hallway. They got to the dining room in no time and almost everyone was already gone. Hayuri had to order lentils, which was the only thing left in the kitchen, since it was already closing up. Killua ordered something to drink and watched as Hayuri ate her food. Something shone on her eyes as she ate her food and Killua had to ask.

"Does it taste bad?"

"No." Hayuri said and smiled softly. "I was just reminded of my childhood. When I lived on the streets, us children would eat bread almost every day. However, sometime we would steal a wallet with more cash than usual and would treat ourselves to some real food. Of course, meat was too expensive, so we always ordered legumes, since they were the healthiest thing we could buy." She looked up with a frown and tapped her chin. "If I remember correctly, there were a couple children that were like you and always used that money to buy sweets. Obviously, since we couldn't even brush out teeth, they were filled with cavities. Some even had lost half of their teeth."

Killua laughed at that and she ate another spoon of her lunch. She was almost finishing when an announcement was made through the speakers of the whole palace.

"Every royal guard and royal guars trainee is expected to gather in the royal audience hall in twenty minutes. There is an important announcement to be made."

 **A/N: Thank you for reading. Please let me know what you think about this fanfiction so far and if you like the direction I've been giving it. What do you think of Killua's and Hayuri's relationship? Sweet? Not? Greetings!**

 **Also, I want to thank those who have left a review.**

 **Elisablackcat: Yes! Hayuri is strong. In a couple chapters you'll see the real extent of her power. I also love her personality 3**

 **Guest n°1: Everyone trolling Killua and Hayuri is hilarious xD I also love teasing them (not really they're just characters). And of course Killua would have wet dreams about her, he's a little perv. (Hayuri has them too, but haven't written those yet… should I?)**

 **Guest n°2: Thanks! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.**


	19. Graduation Day

CHAPTER 19

 **A/N: A really fast update… I was itching to write it down!**

After the announcement, Hayuri and Killua had parted ways to put on their official trainees uniform, which were to be used on important occasions. They met at the entrance five minutes before the appointed time and entered to find a spot to stand at. As they waited, there was an anxious silence filling the hall, since probably everyone suspected that something big was about to happen. Finally, five minutes later, three older men entered the room and the few muttering people quieted down. The first one was dressed in gold sewed robes, wore a lot of jewelry and looked to be way over 70. The second one looked around 60 and was dressed with a blue robe and strange white hat. The third one was the youngest - around 50 - and was clearly part of the royal guard.

"Good afternoon, everyone." The second man announced with a stern voice. "It may be the case that you don't recognize us, since many of you are still trainees. Therefore I will now announce the titles of the present." He moved aside and motioned with a reverence to the oldest man. "I present to your excellency the 22nd king of Eastern Padokia and the supreme ruler of our holy nation, your highness Alexander Jekzinghout." As he said that, everyone in the room bowed exaggeratedly along. They straightened back up and the man continued speaking. "On my side, I present to your grace the general of the royal guard, Joan Peter Pasten." Everyone did a shorter bow and stood up straight again. "And I myself am the king's right hand and prime councilor, Lester Humberton." Everyone in the room did another short bow and went up again. "I will now allow your grace Joan Peter Pasten to speak."

"Royal guards and trainees. I can only expect that you understand the graveness of our current situation. As you can see, your Excellency the king has ruled for a long period of time in favor of our people and gods will. We believe that the current challenge is the start of a new era and, therefore we have decided to choose and crown the successor of the throne in one week." He stopped for a couple seconds to let the fact down on everyone. "Of course, in face of this upcoming event and the current situation the country is in, we are in great need of security. We can later on discuss the proper security tactics that we will need to implement. However, to do such a thing, we require more personal. To accomplish this, we have decided graduate you trainees one month earlier than planned. This means that the ceremony will be held tomorrow. This will leave us with a period of 6 days to tighten our security and ensure the continuation of this monarchy. So, for what's left of today and tomorrow until the ceremony, one royal guard will serve as a navigator for four trainees. You will be filled in with the information that you should've learned in this next weeks. You trainees will be approached as soon as this meeting ends."

As the man retreated back a couple steps and both Killua and Hayuri thought the same thing. _My mission will end soon._

"I thank you, Peter." The king spoke with a deep voice filled with authority and stepped forwards. "This is an important task that I am personally appointing on you. These rebels want to destroy the peace in our country, our way of live and our culture. No matter which of my sons is chosen as my successor, I expect all of you to protect him and our properties at all costs."

"Yes, your highness!" Everyone spoke as they bowed down deeply. They stayed in that position until the three men had left the hall and, only then, they straightened up again. Hayuri felt sickened at bowing down to such a man, who only cared about his own wealth and starved his nation to death.

She was about to say something to Killua, but she was approached by a royal guard and was told to follow him. She looked back at Killua and waved. The guard gathered three more trainees and led them to an empty room. The four of them sat down and the man crossed his fingers in front of his face.

"Well, I don't know how I'm going to do this, but you'd better have good memory; you'll have to learn a whole week of lessons in one and a half day."

And so, a full day of intensive learning began. They even had to keep learning through lunch and dinner. After 11 pm, they had finally finished the first part of their tutoring and Hayuri headed to her room. When she got there, she picked up her phone and dialed a number.

"Tomorrow night. 8 pm." She said. A couple seconds later, Hayuri hung up.

The next day was probably going to be the day in which her mission would be fulfilled. She would have to leave the palace, probably permanently. At that thought, Hayuri stopped in her tracks. She turned around sharply and headed towards Killua's room.

When she got there, she knocked on his door and waited a couple seconds. Killua opened the door with a raised eyebrow and moved aside to let her in.

"Hey." He said as he walked to a chair and sat down. "You know, it's not proper for a lady to visit a man's quarters at midnight."

"Then again, I'm not a lady."

"You're not." Killua smirked. "How was your day?"

"My brain is fried." She deadpanned and Killua laughed. "And yours?"

"It was a lot, but I'm used to it from my tutoring back home."

"No wonder." She rolled her eyes. "I was thinking though. The king really is not only a terrible leader, but also a terrible father."

"Yeah. I noticed that too. He realized that the situation has become dangerous for him and he's probably decided to bail. Whichever one of his sons is elected will have to face all the political and social problems that he left behind."

"Damn, that bastar-."

"Don't talk like that." Killua interrupted her. "You don't know who might be listening."

"I know." She said and looked at the ground for a couple seconds. "You know, I didn't come here just to talk about politics or such."

"No?" He raised his eyebrows and she turned to face him with a serious face. "What's going on?"

"Tomorrow night, I might have to leave this place. Maybe permanently."

"What?" Killua's eyes widened and he leaned closer to her while sitting. "Why?"

"There's something I have to do for the contract hunters I've been working for."

"I... I really don't want you to leave." Killua said and gulped down. After a couple seconds he sighed. "But I also won't try to convince you to stay, since I know how it feels to have a duty."

Killua finished speaking and turned his face away from her. The thought of never seeing her again was more than he could take. He felt his hands tremble and his mouth dry up. Suddenly, there was a warm hand holding his own and he looked up at Hayuri.

"I don't want to either. You're important to me, more than you know. I will do what I have to and you will do what you have to and then we'll meet again." She tightened her hold on his hands and her eyes shone with determination. "We've known each other for, what, nine months? Somehow, after this time, you've become the closest thing I have to a family. I'll be damned before I lose contact with you."

"I feel the same. I have a family, but I've never really been close to them. All they've even done is put responsibilities on my shoulders." He smiled. "You're the first person I've ever felt comfortable around. I'll definitely see you again."

Hayuri stood up, leaned over and hugged him tight. After a couple seconds she stood back up and smiled at him.

"I'm glad you're not the same prick I met on the hunter exam."

"I've told ya already. I'm the same person. It's just that you ended up getting attached to a prick like me and forgot that I am."

"That's true." She smirked. "But maybe it's just that you've gotten soft. I destroyed that wall that you walk around with."

"Yeah... that too." He stopped and creased an eyebrow. "Why do I feel like we already had this conversation?"

"Ah.. maybe we already did." She shrugged. "So, I'll see you tomorrow night, right?"

"Yeah. See you."

Killua watched as she walked away and closed the door behind her. He had wanted to ask her to stay for a while longer, maybe to stay the night and talk until they couldn't keep their eyes open anymore. However, when he opened his mouth to speak, the words had died on his throat.

\- Time skip -

The next day, after pushing a great amount of information into her brain, Hayuri was now familiar with the palace blueprints, standard security tactics, escape routes, codes, and so on. Finally, countless hours of intensive learning, and with only a couple hours of sleep on her, she was allowed to go back to her room and dress up.

Hayuri showered and washed her hair thoroughly. As she did, she remembered that this day was probably the day her mission would be completed. On any formal event in which people were called forward, full names would always be used. They had told her that they only knew the targets last name, so everyone was waiting for this moment. She would help out and recompense once more - and grandly - to the hunters she owed so much to.

She was glad, on one side but, at the same time, was feeling apprehensive. She definitely did not want to part ways with Killua. She would definitely keep her promise and find a way of keeping contact afterwards. When she finished showering, she dried up and got dressed. The ceremony would be a formal event, in which everyone was supposed to wear standard attire according to their rank. Female royal guards had to wear a red sleeveless dress that went down to their knees. It was straight and simple and didn't include any kind of fluffy accessories or puffy parts. The shoes they were to wear were flat, and had straps going up her leg to the knee. It was clearly thought to be useful for combat, but it was pretty nonetheless. For once, Hayuri decided to put on some mascara and eyeliner, which made her green eyes shine brighter. She did her hair in a simple and tight, but beautiful hairdo that would allow her movement if need be. She tied a binding on each upper thigh; one would hold a dagger and the other would hold nen suppressing handcuffs.

When she was done, she walked down to the event hall, where the ceremony would be held. She entered and found herself in a huge room with tall windows that looked out to a garden and filled with enormous chandelier that hung from the ceiling. The place was stacked with a deliciously smelling buffet of a vast variety of canapés and there were beautiful decorations placed everywhere. On one side, there were around 10 tables set for dinner and, on the other side, there was an open space facing a higher platform. Hayuri entered and walked through the crowed as she scanned the place. She soon spotted Killua, who was standing nonchalantly and waving off a woman that had approached him. She didn't blame her; he looking damn hot. The male formal attire consisted of a black formal shirt and red formal shorts that went past their knees. He wore black combat boots, which looked much formal than regular ones. There was also a red wrist band on his right arm. In contrast to other people, Killua had done absolutely nothing to his hair. It gave him a much more boyish and disarranged appearance. Hayuri was brought out of her musings when Killua turned and locked eyes with her. He immediately waved her way and she smiled, walking his way. As she did, she noticed that he was observing her intently. When she'd walked the fifteen steps between then stopped.

"Hey."

"Hey." He said as he looked her up and down once more. "You look beautiful."

Hayuri was taken aback by his honesty and felt her cheeks grow hotter. Apparently, Killua hadn't meant to say that, because he immediately jerked up and cleared his throat.

"I mean, you look ok." He said as he faintly blushed as well. "I didn't think you'd be able to do such thing. Maybe now someone migh-"

"Killua." Hayuri interrupted him to avoid any more awkwardness. "You look good too. Now, let's get something to eat."

As Hayuri turned to walk away, Killua inwardly sighed and cursed himself for his lack of self-control. What was up with him? Couldn't he get a grip on what he said? Thank goodness he hadn't asked her for a kiss or to spend the ni-

"Killua!" Hayuri startled him. "I've been calling your name for a while. Jeez, what's up with you?"

"Err... I might be a little on edge right now." He said and she raised an eyebrow at him, completely skeptical.

"Whatever. I was asking, do you want some ice-cream as well?"

At the mention of sweets, Killua's mind went blank and he immediately assaulted the buffet. Both walked around for a while, tasting every food available in there. Well, mostly Hayuri.

"Hey, calm down, will ya?" Killua tapped her shoulder as she was about to have some more caviar. "You know this is a royal event, right? We don't want some authority to come over and say something embarrassing to you. On the other hand, it would be hilarious if that tight dress were to be ripped open on your side." He added with a smirk as he pointed to the almost unnoticeable joint of the fabric.

"Oh, wouldn't you like to see that?" Hayuri smirked playfully and pushed him with her index.

"It would definitely ruin my appetite." He rolled his eyes. When he looked back at her he noticed that she had a little sauce on her lip. "Jeez, look at you. Just like a child."

Hayuri was about to ask what he was talking about, but was frozen on her spot when Killua moved his hand up and cupped her cheek. His thumb moved to her lower lip and softly rubbed it. Killua then moved his hand away and frigging licked that thumb. Hayuri was speechless. _WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT._

"There you go; there was sauce on your lip." He said looking back at her. Her eyes were wide and her face was flushed, her brown skin looking almost impossibly red. It was only then that Killua realized what he had done. He had rubbed her lower lip and fucking licked it afterwards. LICKED IT. Before his mind went overdrive and said something stupid, Killua decided to act as if it hadn't been anything important and turned around to grab some more food. As he stuffed his mouth, he fought the blush that was creeping on his cheeks.

Hayuri stared dumbfounded as Killua turned away from her, as if he hadn't just done such an intimate thing. Her heart was racing on her chest and she wondered if he was just acting dumb. How could he not even notice the meaning of that gesture? After a minute of watching Killua's back as he walked a couple meters away, there suddenly was a soft tapping on Hayuri's shoulder. When she turned, she was faced with a young man. He had fair skin, brown eyes and slightly red hair, and was a little taller than Killua. She recognized him; they had talked a couple times before, but she barely knew his name.

"Hey, Bart. How are you doing?" She greeted.

"I'm fine. Hey, Hayuri. Err... the thing is, I always see you around Killua. So... I was wondering... are the two of you together?"

"As in dating?" She raised an eyebrow and he nodded. "Then no, we are not. We're friends though. Why such a question?"

"Well, I was wondering... would you like to go out on a date sometime? Or if you don't have one right now..."

"Oh." Hayuri blinked. She most definitely didn't expect that. "Well... right now I'm keeping Killua company. Also, I'm currently focusing on my work, so I'm not really planning on dating right now."

"Oh, I see." He looked away for a second and then turned leave. "If you change your mind, let me know. See ya."

She watched him walk away and felt Killua walk closer to her.

"Wow, apparently you eventually got someone to notice you." He said. "He's not too bad looking either."

"Well, at least **I** have. Unlike someone else. You were always bragging on about your looks, maybe some humility will help you get some attention"

"Oh, but Hayuri." Killua smirked. "I've been asked out at least 15 times since we got here. Don't forget what you saw when you entered the hall. Also, for the record, I don't **need** attention."

"Whatever." Hayuri growled. Damn him. "How did you even know I was here?"

"I'm already used to your aura. I can definitely notice when you're in a crowd."

"Well, good for you mister perfect." She rolled her eyes. "You have a whole line of chicks waiting on you."

"Not just chicks." Killua grimaced and Hayuri explosively laughed.

"Ahahahahahaha!" She held her sides as she bent over in laughter. "Well, what can I say, you have a lot to choose from."

"Pfft. I would never go out with someone who only asks me out because of my looks." He frowned.

Hayuri was about to add answer him, when the music stopped and the head of the royal guard appeared on the stage. He had his hands behind his back, making him look more built up than he already was. He announced that the graduation would begin and everyone gathered around him. He started calling names on alphabetical order, starting with last names that begun with 'A'. Hayuri immediately focused her whole mind on the names that were announced. Soon, she was called up, so she straightened up and walked up the stairs.

"Castañeda, Hayuri. Might you serve the king and god with your life, and might your service be long and fulfilling." The general said and Hayuri stood straight as he set a pin on her dress, just under her right shoulder.

"This I vow!" Hayuri said and bowed slightly. She then walked down the steps and back to where Killua stood.

As she stood by Killua, she intently listened the names of the remaining trainees come up. Most of them looked really proud of their accomplishment and stood with pride, showing their pin off. When almost half of them had already gone up, the moment Hayuri had been waiting for came. However, she was completely shocked and she tensed up at what she heard.

"Dolzyck, Killua."

 **A/N: Cliffhanger! And NO I did not spell Zoldyck wrong. I mean, I did, but it was on purpose.**

 **MadokaMagica1998: Thank you! I've been trying hard to make the plot interesting and do some character development, so I'm glad that you think so! Also, I too love Killua's soft side (I loved him more than I already did on chimera ant and zoldyck arc)**


	20. The Last Time?

**A/N: OK, now we're in for a major turn in events. Brace yourselves, haha.**

CHAPTER 20

Killua walked back to his spot next to Hayuri after receiving his own pin. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow and wondered what was up with her. When his name had been called, she had tensed for a second. When he walked back down and another trainee was called up, he discretely looked at her for a couple seconds, but she had an impassive poker face. Her eyes however were intently looking downwards, as if in deep thought. In the end, he gave up trying to figure her out, and went back to his own thoughts. He was now an official royal guard and, in five days, the successor of the throne would be elected. In five more days, he would kill him and finish his job. He would finally earn his father's praise and be elected as the heir to the family business. However, somehow right now that thought didn't seem as motivating as it used to. He definitely wouldn't be able to see much of Hayuri is that was the case.

When all of the trainees had gone up, the royal guard head walked to the center of the platform and spoke with a strong voice.

"From now on you are official royal guards. I congratulate you all. Please enjoy the rest of the evening, since tomorrow morning your duties will start early."

"Yes, sir!" Everyone answered.

He walked back down and towards a side door on the room. When he closed the door behind him, everyone scattered around and resumed their previous activities.

Killua turned to look at Hayuri, who was still burning holes into the floor. He wondered what had her so caught up.

"Hayuri?" He said, but she didn't seem to listen. He took a step toward her and shook her shoulder a bit. "Haaayuuuriii."

"Huh?" She said as she finally looked up to meet Killua's eyes. "What?"

"I've been calling you for a while you know?" He frowned. "What's up with you?"

"Oh, nothing much. I'll tell you about it later." She said waving him off. Killua noticed, however, that her expression and her shoulders looked a little more tense than usual. She was usually relaxed, even during missions, so she tense body language meant that probably something big was up. She turned around to walk away, but Killua held her wrist.

"I know you too well, you can't lie to me. I can tell that there's something important on your mind. Can I know what it is?"

Hayuri stood still for a moment and turned to look at him over her shoulder. She softly smiled and nodded.

"Of course. I'll tell you about it, but not here. Come on, follow me."

Hayuri started walking and Killua took a couple long strides to walk next to her. He followed her out of the hall and was about to stop, but noticed that she kept on walking. She led him out of the building and into the garden. Killua turned to curiously look at her and wondered what the hell was so important that they needed to exit the building. Hayuri and Killua walked down the garden and soon got to the dormitory wing. He was taken aback when he found himself in front of the door to Hayuri's room.

"Well, this must be pretty important if we had to walk a whole ten minutes to your room."

"Yeah." She said as she took out her keys and opened up. Killua followed her inside and walked to a wall on the furthest side. He leaned on it and watched as Hayuri walked closer to him. She took short and slow steps, as if trying to delay her arrival. When she finally stopped walking she was a mere meter away from him. Killua waited for her to speak, but after a whole minute of silence he decided to break it.

"Hey... if you don't want to talk now, we can always talk some other time."

"There... there probably won't be another time." She muttered almost inaudibly, but he heard her anyways.

"What do you mean? Hadn't we established that we would keep contact no matter what?"

"I... don't know if I will get out of this one alive." She said and her voice almost broke.

"What!" Killua widened his eyes. He straightened up and took hold of Hayuri's arm. "Yesterday everything seemed to be all right with your job. What changed?"

"I... I cannot tell you." She looked sideways.

"You're pretty strong. What kind of job would be such a danger to you? Why don't you just turn it down?"

"I... I can't do that now." Hayuri said and a tear rolled down her cheek. "I wish I could just forget all about it and stay here, but I can't. You apparently have been through the same before, so you should understand what my situation."

"I... I do understand." Killua wiped a couple tears off her face. "But this doesn't sound like you at all. What about all those 'make your own choices' ideals?"

"I am choosing this." She locked eyes with him.

"So... you're willingly putting your life on the line?!" Killua raised his voice. "What for? A good pay?"

"A can't answer that now. Please, don't ask any more questions. Don't try to change my mind." Hayuri looked away from him and to the ground.

"I..." Killua was at a loss of words. What could he say to her? Was there anything that he could do? Did he even have a moral right to question her decision, when he would've chosen the same as she had? Killua rubbed his temple to calm down and sighed. "All right. I can't force you to anything, much less quit this job... but Hayuri." He said as he put his hands on her shoulders and his sapphire orbs locked with her green ones. "Promise me you won't die. Promise that I'll see you again."

"I will do my best. That I can promise." She softly smiled.

Killua bit his lip and pulled her closer to him, hugging her tightly. She held him and, after a good minute or two, she pulled back until she was two palms away from him.

"There is more" She quietly said.

"Tell me."

"I... there's something I wanted to ask of you before I left."

"Just tell me what it is, I'll do it."

"First, there's something that you should know."

"Yeah?"

"I..." she started. "For a long time I have thought of you as a dear friend. My best and only one. However..." she trailed off and Killua frowned in slight worry. "However... something happened along the way. First of all, I noticed that you meant more to me than anyone else. Also, I... I started feeling things that I should not have felt towards a friend."

Killua's eyes widened and his heart started racing a thousand miles per hour. Hayuri fidgeted a bit and then continued.

"I started feeling attracted to you, and it only grew stronger in time. I tried to fight it for a while... but it was futile. I missed you each moment when you were not around and was immensely happy when you were." Hayuri stopped for a moment and looked at Killua. At that moment, the meaning of her words dawned on him and he felt heat build on his face. And on his gut. "I... I'm in love with you, Killua. I really am."

Killua had to lie back on the wall to offer some sort of support to his body. That had been a truly blunt confession. Killua didn't even get to think about an answer, because she spoke again. "You don't have to answer if you're not sure. Do you still want to know what my request is?"

"Tell me." Killua nodded and, somehow, managed to speak clearly.

"I have dreamt about you in ways that I would be too embarrassed to admit, but somehow the thought of never seeing you again prevents from it. I thought about you when I was alone at night. Therefore, what I wanted to ask of you is... would you..." she stopped midsentence, since she had the urge to cover her blushing face.

Killua felt as though boiling water had been thrown over him and stood there in shock. HOW THE HELL WAS HE SUPPOSED TO ANSWER THAT? Ok, he had truly learned a lot about social skills since he had met her, but this was on a whole other level. His mind was a twirl of thoughts about his mission, his family, Hayuri and **sex**. He was trying to put them in order, but their flushed faces were so close that he could not concentrate properly.

Over a minute had passed in which Killua hadn't managed to do anything but panic. Hayuri's sighed and her eyes looked away from him. She was about to turn away, when Killua's arms held her arm to keep her in place. She looked at him again and saw his eyes shining with intent. _Just fuck it all._

"I know what you mean. I wish I could make a logical decision, but it always seems so hard for me to be rational when you're around." Killua laughed softly.

Hayuri smiled in an almost shy manner and he raised his hands slowly. As he did, he caressed the length of Hayuri's arms until they found her neck. She closed his eyes as she felt the soft trailing of his fingertips on her neck and nape. One of his hands finally cupped her cheek and she opened her eyes to meet Killua's blue ones. He had moved closer, and she could feel his breath on her face. Hayuri closer her eyes and leaned forward a bit until her lips softly brushed his. Both felt electricity running through their bodies. They lips softly brushed against each other for a while, and Hayuri's hand went up to the back of his head. She pulled him closer to her and kissed him for real. Their kissing went on, slowly becoming more heated.

Killua moved a hand to her waist and pulled her body to him as their tongues met. He had always despised kissing - even when watching porn - but this was damn surreal to him; he had never imagined how good it would feel. Suddenly, Hayuri broke the kiss and moved to lick down his neck. He growled when she sucked on his earlobe and trailed his hands over her back. Hayuri tilted her head to kiss his shoulder, and Killua buried his head on her neck as well, kissing and softly biting her.

"Killua..." Hayuri spoke his name in a soft voice that made his body tingle. He held her shoulders and turned them around, now pushing her against the wall. He kissed her neck and shoulders desperately as he felt his arousal grow.

Hayuri closed her eyes as she allowed him access to her neck, relishing the sensations that he was making her feel. She embraced him and his hands moved up to caress her breasts over her dress. She took a deep breath in and sighed in delight, moving a little backwards. Killua moved back and looked into her eyes. His hands trailed to her back and pulled the zipper down. His hands touched the length of her back as he did and she shivered. Before he could do anything more, Hayuri held the hem of his shirt and started pulling it over his head. He raised his arms until she has removed it and then immediately crashed his lips on hers. She kissed him with passion as her hands touched his bare chest, shoulders and back.

"Damn you, you're hot." She said into the kiss and Killua smirked. Before she knew what was happening, his hands had slid her dress off her shoulders and it fell down to the floor.

He broke the kiss and looked at her almost naked form for a couple seconds. She only wore plain red panties and bra and the usual black leather straps on her thighs. She was about to feel overly self-conscious, but he held her arms over her head and looked into her eyes.

"You're beautiful." He said and flushed his body to hers. He turned his head and spoke into her ear. "But I already told you that earlier, didn't I?"

Hayuri felt heat spread through her body at that moment. First of all, the feel of his bare skin against her own was amazing. Secondly, their bodies were completely pressed against each other and she could feel his erection practically between her legs.

"I can tell." She whispered and slightly moved her hips to make a point. Killua hissed and he let go of her hands to hold her waist. His mouth licked her collar bone down to the visible part of her breast. His hands went to her back and tried to unclasp her bra a couple times, but failing miserably.

"Let me give you a hand with that." Hayuri lightly laughed and her bra came off at once.

Killua looked at her for a moment and went back to kissing her, slowly circling closer to her nipples. When he licked it, Hayuri took a sharp breath in and he took it as a good sign. He kissed, licked and sucked one breast and then moved to the other one. Hayuri was barely making any noise, but as little as it was, it was driving him insane.

Suddenly, Hayuri pushed him back and he looked at her in wonder. She crashed her lips on his and their tongues started twirling around each other once again. Killua felt as she firmly held his face, the almost rough manner making him smirk. She tilted his head to the side to kiss and bite him softly, which sent shivers down his spine. After a while, Killua moved his hand down to her hip and trailed it softly to in between her legs. Hayuri had to stop what she was doing on his neck, her mind unable to focus on anything besides how close his hand was to her core.

They locked eyes and Killua moved his head closer to her. However, he didn't kiss her, and breathed the same air as she did as his right hand moved inside her underwear. He slowly allowed his hand to go down and was astonished at how **wet** she was; her panties were completely soaked. The thought that it was he who made her feel like that made him feel almost proud.

"Damn, Hayuri." He whispered and swiftly turned her around, so that she was facing the wall and he was hugging her from behind. He slowly slid a finger into her folds and he watched her close her eyes in delight. He moved it back and forth a couple times, making her slightly tilt her head back and part her lips. For a brief moment, his mind unexpectedly went back to a book he had once read. It stated that most women only reached orgasm through clit stimulation. Since he had no real experience in this stuff, he wasn't taking any chances. He closed his eyes and moved his finger once again, feeling her soft skin. After sometime, he noticed a small mound, which apparently hadn't been there before. He rubbed it and watched Hayuri crease her eyebrow and gasp. _Bingo._

Hayuri felt Killua start touching her and she almost lost her footing. Thankfully he was holding her against the wall, or she might've fallen to the ground. She had touched herself while thinking of him many times, but she had never imagined that the knowledge that it was him would make it so much better. She partly opened her eyes and saw that Killua's chin was resting on her shoulder, his face one palm away from her own. His catlike eyes shone with desire as he looked down at her face intently. If she had been able to think at all, she would've wondered what kind of expression she was making.

Killua stared at Hayuri's flushed face; lips parted and half lidded eyes. Her practical hairdo was messy and her head was leaning against the wall. He had never imagined she would look like this. Even in his dreams, he had never viewed her like this. She was incredibly attractive; her green eyes casting some sort spell on him, demanding that him to give her pleasure.

As he held her weight from falling down, he felt her body move slightly. He watched as her eyebrows slowly creased and her body tensed. He wondered for a moment if she was in pain, but he was soon proved wrong. She flung her head backwards and opened her mouth, making her neck arch almost artistically. As one of Killua's hands was holding her up from her lower stomach, so he was able to feel her belly tremble and pulsate as she hit her orgasm.

"A-aaaaahhh..." she moaned. She opened her eyes as she panted, immediately meeting Killua's ones.

"Come." He said after a couple seconds and pulled her towards the bed.

Hayuri followed him and, before he even got there, she took hold of his boxers. She slowly slid them down, allowing his member to rise in all its length. She lay on the bed and pulled him along. As she lay next to him, she took hold of his dick and slowly pumped it up and down. She watched as he closed his eyes and licked his lips. She kissed his chest and neck as she touched him.

Killua closed his eyes and was almost lost in the feeling of her hand doing him. However, after a couple minutes, he noticed that he was getting closer to his climax. This may be the only time they ever got to be like this, so he was certainly not going to finish now. He held her hand, stopping her, and she turned to look at him.

"Should I do it differently?"

"No, I just don't want this to end yet."

Killua turned on his side and spooned Hayuri. He held one of her legs and bent it, successfully parting her legs. He moved his hand to her core once again and she turned her head is surprise.

"Again?"

"Don't you want to?"

"Well…I do" she blushed at the statement. "What I mean is, shouldn't we already..." she trailed off as he slid a finger inside of her once again.

"Let me do this one more time." Killua said kissing her neck and she nodded. He moved both hands in between her legs and, after stimulating her clit for a while, he slid a finger into her. She was hot and tight, and Killua felt his own member twitch in anticipation.

Hayuri felt one of Killua's fingers enter her and start pumping in and out, while he rubbed her clit with his other hand one. She was too caught in pleasure, so she didn't notice when he slid a second one inside. When he slid a third one inside, she felt a little too stretched and frowned. However, she decided to relax and, after a while, she got used to it. Slowly, the feeling got good and she decided that the rubbing on her insides were starting to get pleasurable. As he did this and rubbed her clit, Hayuri felt another wave of heat hit her.

Killua looked at Hayuri as she closed her eyes softly and he assumed she was nearing orgasm again. He moved his hips closer to her core and touched her wetness with his member. The moment her face contorted in pleasure and she moaned, he slid his member inside of her and he had to also moan loudly. She was hot and wet and her walls were squeezing him rhythmically as she reached orgasm. In order to not cum right away, Killua had to close his eyes and concentrate as she rode her climax.

When Hayuri's mind was clear again she was surprised to find that Killua already was inside or her. _Wasn't that supposed to hurt or something?_ She discarded her thoughts and moved a hand behind her. She grabbed Killua's ass and pulled him further inside of her, while moving her hips a bit for better access.

"Ahh, damn it." He hissed in pleasure as she turned her head and looked into his eyes. They locked eyes and started slowly moving against each other. Killua spoke again as his nose brushed against hers. "Hey, Hayuri… touch yourself." she widened her eyes at that and he nodded. "I'd like to see that."

Hayuri slid a hand down to her core and she started rubbing her clit on the same rhythm at which they were moving. At first, she felt a little self-conscious, but every thought was soon forgotten. The combination of her knowledge of her own body and Killua pumping in and out of her, brought her to another orgasm in no time.

"Aaaaahhhhhhh!" She moaned a little louder than the previous times. Hayuri took hold of Killua's arms and pulled him, so that he was kneeling between her legs. She raised her legs and put her knees over his shoulders. Killua held her hips and entered her with a little more force, which seemed to hit somewhere good inside of her.

"Ah!" She yelped. "Do that again!"

Killua started repeatedly thrusting into her harder than before. From this point of view, he was now able to look down at where they were joined. Also, he could see her flushed face as she moaned quietly every time he hit her insides. Killua faintly noticed that the straps on her thighs were still on and had to smirk at the fetish look she had.

At some point, Hayuri pushed him away and made him sit down on the bed. She moved to sit on him and put his member inside of her again. As they started moving once more, their tongues twirled around each other as their bodies pressed against each other. Hayuri broke the kiss and slightly bit Killua's shoulder and he growled.

"Do you like this?" She asked into his ear.

"I do." Killua said as the thrust deeper into her and she moaned into his neck. She kissed, licked and bit on his shoulder, and it would soon send him over the edge.

Killua felt Hayuri tightly entwine her hands with his, as he came to his own orgasm and moaned into her shoulder. Through his still clouded mind, he faintly noticed one of her hands quickly move behind him and retreat back. She immediately jumped off the bed and put on her dress and panties in 5 seconds. He was about to open his mouth and ask why she was in such a hurry, but he noticed that his hands were tied behind his back.

"Hey, Hayuri." He said as he regained his breath. "Do you have some sort of fetish that I should know about?"

Hayuri walked to him with a serious face and Killua got a sinking feeling in his gut. She moved her hand to touch him and he noticed her nen swirl to hatsu. He widened his eyes as he felt his body freeze for a couple seconds, unable to move due to her ability. He watched with confusion as she dressed him with his boxers and pants. He noticed that the handcuffs holding his wrists together were draining his nen, forcing him into zetsu mode. Killua frowned and opened his mouth to question her actions, but suddenly the window was flung open. Three nen users jumped through the window and surrounded them. Killua cursed, noticing that the three of them were almost as strong as his brother Illumi. The next words Killua heard were like a bucket of ice on his body.

"Ahhh, Hayuri. I can't believe you actually caught the Zoldyck brat on your own."

 **A/N: OMG, nooo treason! Hayurii! Drama incoming. What did you think of this chapter? Was the lemon all right? What do you think about this last turn of events?**


	21. Betrayal

CHAPTER 21

Killua stared in shock at Hayuri, hoping for any sign that would prove everything that he assumed wrong. There was no way she would betray him like that. There was no way he could've been that deeply fooled. To his demise, Hayuri didn't even glance his way as she skillfully rearranged her hair and smirked at the blond man who had talked.

"Who do you think I am, Markus?"

"Well, I just thought you would've needed a hand. But I should've known you'd do it. You are, after all, one of my most trusted people." Markus smirked and turned to Killua. "Yo, brat. If you keep quiet and follow us, there won't be any need to beat you to a pulp."

Killua bowed his head low and closed his eyes in surrender. He was not stupid; even without nen there was no way that he could've won against them. If he wanted to escape, he would have to find an opportunity later on. The biggest man held Killua's arm and threw him over his shoulder. All of them sprinted away and they were out of the palace in a couple seconds.

Killua had considered calling up attention so that he would get help from the other royal guards. But these people knew his identity. Maybe they even knew about his mission. Therefore, in order to have a chance to come back and finish it, he had to keep his background a secret from the king.

Ten minutes later, the four of them stopped on an alleyway and he was allowed to stand again. The blond man, Markus, walked closer to him with a smirk.

"I'm sorry, Zoldyck-san, but I'll need you to take a short nap." He said and Killua closed his eyes in resignation as he was hit in the back of the head and darkness engulfed him.

\- Time skip -

Killua woke up to a rhythmic movement and warmth; someone was giving him a piggyback ride. He immediately recognized that person as Hayuri; her scent and her presence too familiar to him. He remained with his eyes closed and pinpointed that the three other men were surrounding them. He still had no chance of escape. He opened his eyes to see that the sun was starting to rise, so he decided that he'd been out for 5,30 hours. A damn long time, that hit on his nape must've been pretty strong. On top of that, as Killua looked around he noticed that they were inside a forest, so he had no fucking idea where he was.

He must've made some sort of noise, since Hayuri slightly tilted her head sideways to take a good look at him. Killua looked at her face and felt anger build up in him when she looked back ahead without a word. He wondered if he could to yell some insults at her without risking his life, but Hayuri suddenly stopped running and turned to look at a redheaded man, who had stopped as well.

"Matt, your turn." She said as he was left on his feet and the said man moved to pick him up.

"I can run, you know?" Killua creased an eyebrow.

"What about it, leader?" The redhead talked to the blond one.

"We might as well try." He answered and turned to Killua with a dead serious face. "You will be running in the center and you won't do anything rash. If I as much as suspect anything, I'll break some of your bones and you'll be carried again."

"I know." Killua nodded and all of them took off once again.

They ran at full speed for two hours and until the sun had completely risen. Hayuri raised her hand and everyone stopped next to a river.

"We still have some hours to go, so I suggest that we eat something." She said pointing down at the water. Everyone nodded and, as both the redhead and the brunette hunters sat on each side of Killua, Hayuri and Markus caught some fish. When they finished, they quickly built a fire to cook them and everyone sat around it.

"So, Zoldyck brat. Do you know why you are here?" the redheaded spoke.

"Not really." Killua answered. "But I can guess someone holds a grudge against me."

"Hah, apparently you're smart enough to know that. And they want you delivered alive. Tough luck."

"He must think he's lucky though and that he'll get a chance to get away." The blonde smirked and everyone laughed at that.

Killua frowned and hoped that wherever they were taking him wouldn't have too much security. He was certain that he'd be able to break out from almost anywhere, but there were a couple exceptions. Killua kept quiet as everyone talked and joked about gossip and everyday stuff. Well, not everyone. Hayuri hadn't spoken one word since they'd stopped and she only nodded and smiled at their conversation. When the fish were ready, everyone stood up to get some.

"Hey, have some fish." The bulky man spoke and handed Killua one.

Killua silently took the fish and decided to eat it. First of all, he was immune to poison and, secondly, they would've killed him already if they wanted to. When they finished eating, they put the fire out and took off again. Killua looked towards Hayuri every couple minutes and, every time he did, he was blatantly ignored. He was angry, sad, and frustrated. He would've confronted her – or something – but there was no way he was going to say anything in front of anyone else.

At noon, they stopped in front of a hill and that had a thick steel door right next to some rocks. The blonde knocked on it a couple times and a small light was turned on.

"Horses run to the east when the sun is highest." He said and the light turned green. A high pitched ring preceded the opening of the door and Killua entered third.

They came into a small room made of steel and the five of them were thoroughly checked. After that, they all entered through another steel door and Killua found himself in a huge underground hangar. The place was filled with people and there even was some sort of store. Truly, the place was almost like a small village and it appeared to house up to five hundred people. All of them were hunter, though most of them were not too strong. There were only handful that were as strong as him. Killua assumed that probably the best ones had been sent after him. He didn't blame them; the Zoldyck name was feared by many and he probably could've won a fair fight against three of the other ones.

As soon as they entered, he was yanked by the handcuffs and he was escorted away by Markus – the blonde – and the redheaded man. They went down two levels through a steeled staircase and came to a room. There were two low range hunters sitting in front of the table and they greeted them.

"Zoldyck, huh?" he said as he wrote something down and put a code on a computer.

A thick steel door in the back of the room entered and Killua was led inside of it. He was led down a hallway filled with cells, which was much darker than then rest of the building; probably so that prisoners would be dazzled by the brightness is they managed to get out. When they reached the end of the hallway, another thick door opened up. They entered a small room that had a middle aged hunter sitting on a wooden chair. He nodded at them as a greeting and they walked a couple steps. They stopped in front of a cell that was not closed up by iron bars, but by some sort of **translucent** thick material. A door of the same material automatically opened up and he was thrown inside. Killua walked a couple steps in as the door closed behind him.

Killua looked around and noticed that the walls, the floor and the ceiling were made of thick steel. He turned around and saw that he had no privacy at all; everything could be seen from the outside. On the other hand, he could also see everything that happened out there.

"Spend your time as you wish, although I don't think there's much to do in there." Markus said laughing and both hunters turned around and left. Killua raised his eyebrows; how was it even possible that he could hear them out? He walked a couple steps to the translucent material and touched it lightly. He was surprised that it was hard as steel. He narrowed his eyes and noticed that there were almost imperceptibly little holes in there, which probably allowed sound to move freely both ways. The little holes seemingly provided him with oxygen, which meant that his cell had no ventilation systems at all. On one corner of the room there was a dry toilet, which meant there also were no water pipes in there. There were a couple bottles of water on the other corner.

Killua cursed and threw himself on the ground. He was fucked up. That was the most advanced and secure cell he had seen in his whole life. How was he even going to get out? On one hand, the successor of the king would be elected in 4 days. It had taken them over 12 hours to get there, so he had 3 days tops to get out of there. But it didn't seem plausible at all. There was no way he could get out of there without nen, and the damn handcuffs were still keeping him in Zetsu. Killua sighed and sat down; he would try to think of a way to break out.

Killua sat in that place for what he assumed was three hours. So it was probably around three in the afternoon. He had been thinking all along, but had not found any way to escape that place yet. There were virtually no vulnerabilities in their system. He had thought about it over and over again, and there was apparently no way to get out.

Suddenly Killua heard the door to the room on the other side of the translucent wall opened up. He turned his head and saw Hayuri entering with a box of polystyrene in her hands. When her eyes met the guards, her shoulders tensed and she growled.

"You of all people…" she mumbled and took a couple steps.

"Good to see you too, Hayuri." The man smirked.

Hayuri ignored him and walked to the translucent wall and stopped in front of the door. Her eyes met Killua's for a second and he felt his heart clench. She immediately looked away and opened a small compartment on the door and put the box inside. She stood there quietly for a couple seconds and then quietly spoke.

"There's no use trying to get out of there; the only way that'll happen is when we allow you to." She said and then added. "There's some food for you."

Killua didn't answer, ignoring her, and eyed her as she sighed and turned around to leave. However the guard sitting on the chair leaned forward with a smile.

"So, I heard you caught the Zoldyck brat on you own." He started as Hayuri stopped and raised an eyebrow at him. "I don't believe it."

"You can believe whatever you want. You're just angry that I'm your superior." She frowned.

"You must've used some dirty trick." His face contorted into a dirty smirk. "Did you poison him? Trap him? Did you fuck him?"

"I don't think I owe you any explanations, Owen." Hayuri said and moved to walk away.

"She did." Killua's voice sounded clearly from inside the cell. Hayuri stopped dead in her tracks and turned to look at Killua with wide eyes. His head was bowed down and his eyes were hidden, but he wore a smirk full of malice. "And she screamed like a slut."

Hayuri stared in shock at Killua and he locked eyes with her for a moment. He watched with a nonchalant expression when she opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

"Ohhhh! I knew it! I knew it!" the man leaned towards her. "Well, what can I say Hayuri. I admire your sense of duty. I wonder though, if the order came for me to fuck you, would you do it too?"

"Shut up, Owen!" Hayuri raised her voice as her eyes filled up with tears. She looked downwards and she loudly closed the door behind her. As soon as she was out of the room, the guard turned to look at Killua, who had already retrieved the box of food and was opening it up.

"Wow, that was hilarious, man." He laughed. "I've been trying to get into her pants for a long time. Tell me, how did you do it? How was she like? Damn, I've thought about her pussy for long."

Killua opened up his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He felt like trash. He knew Hayuri deserved it all after what she'd done to him. But, for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to speak about it. The words he had said earlier had left a sinking feeling in his chest. Besides, the man clearly didn't like Hayuri for real and probably just wanted to get into her pants to prove a point or something. Killua wouldn't feed him anything about her. He lowered his head again and kept quiet, ignoring the man as he insisted for details. He ate the contents of the box, half of it containing a dry stew and the other half a piece of cake. He widened his eyes and wondered if prisoners were usually fed sweets, but he didn't wonder too long and simply enjoyed it.

After a couple hours, the guard shift changed and in came another hunter. He sat down with a bored face and Killua wondered if any of them ever went to the bathroom. On one hand, he needed a chance to get out and, on the other hand, he needed to use the toilet urgently. The last time he had, had been before the ceremony last night. Almost 24 hours ago, so his bladder was about to explode. He was used to having some privacy on the matter, but he decided to let this one pass. He walked to the toilet and urinated with a sigh. When he was about to pull his pants back up something caught his eye. He looked down and noticed that there was blood inside his underwear. He furrowed his brow and checked if he had any injuries, but there were none. He stood there in wonder for a couple seconds and then his eyes slightly widened in comprehension.

\- Time skip -

The door to the guard room in front of Killua's cell opened up again. He looked up and saw that Hayuri had come **again**. He wondered if she was doing it on purpose to rub it in his face.

"Oh, Hayuri-san." The guard spoke with a smile. "What brings you here?"

"I brought dinner." She said raising another box of food and the guard raised an eyebrow. "We were told to hand the prisoner in good condition, so we're not taking any chances."

"Oh, I see." He said and Hayuri gave him a look.

"Also, you should head to Finance's as soon as you can." She said bluntly.

"What?" his eyes widened. "No way, I can't believe there's a problem with my paycheck again. I promised my wife she would get the money this week."

"Well, they're closing up soon… so you may have to go tomorrow."

"Jeez." The guard rubbed his temples.

Hayuri walked to the cell and put the box in place. She looked at Killua and noticed that he was intently staring at her. She fidgeted a bit and walked a bit along the translucent wall. She stopped where Killua was sitting and locked eyes with him. She stood there for a while, but he didn't say anything.

"Is there something you need?" she spoke.

"I can't believe it. You would actually give your virginity away for some job?" Killua said with an ironic smile. "I can't believe I bought all that idealistic shit from you."

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you." She said with a sad smile. "Things are not always what we think they are."

Killua looked at her with disbelief for a moment and then lowered his head. He tightened his fists and growled a bit. He looked at her with anger and spoke harshly.

"Clearly, because in the end you were just another bitch with no sense of ethic."

"That's a lot coming from you, isn't it?" Hayuri took a step closer and leaned her hand on the wall.

"I would've never done what you did! I never even thought anyone would go to that extent… All this time…" Killua had to stop talking and he took a deep breath in. "You were fooling me all along."

"I have to say though, that I never really expected you to be blind for so long. Your emotions really can get in the way of your clear thinking, huh?" she said she smiled with a hint of sadness.

Killua growled and looked down at the ground. He didn't have any words for her; he just wanted her to get out of his sight. Her mere presence was putting him on edge and making the weight on his chest get heavier. He heard Hayuri walk away from the cell and stop a couple steps away.

"Err… is everything all right?" the guard asked.

"Yeah, don't let his words get to you." She shrugged. "Hey, if you want to I can watch over the prisoner. You know, so that you can fix the problem with your salary."

"Really?" his eyes widened. "You know it's a long way to Finance's… it could take a while."

"I don't mind."

"I shouldn't really leave my post, but no one here really questions your authority... soo…"

"Go on." She waved him off.

"Thank you! I owe you!" he said as he turned around and walked out of the room.

When he closed the door the room Killua watched as Hayuri stood still for a couple seconds. She seemed to hesitate for a moment and then looked back at him. His icy blue eyes locked with her green ones and, for a moment, he felt as though nothing had changed between them. He felt as comfortable as ever and the ever present pull towards her. They stayed like that, looking at each other as the silence in the room made their heartbeats seem louder than they were. A couple seconds later, Hayuri turned to look back to the steel door and the moment was broken. Killua cursed his inability to keep his emotions in check and his mind for forgetting that everything had been a set up. He watched as her hand leaned on the steel door and it opened up.

"Goodbye, Killua." Hayuri said without looking back and left.

 **A/N: Well.. that was it. What do you think? Do you now hate Hayuri? Do you understand her actions? Will Killua manage to escape? Will Hayuri and he get back together? TAAN TAAN TAAAAAN.**

 **Elisablackcat: Well, I had to make some drama out of this xD I'm glad you liked the lemon though.**

 **Kpseipp: that would've been a good plot too, but I think this one is more dramatic xD**

 **MadokaMagica1998: Wow, thank you for the compliment! I'm glad you like the story.**

 **Hexel-JustAnotherReader: Wow! It's good to hear from you again. Thank you for reading!**


	22. Truth Unveiled

**A/N: So… be prepared for drama. I hope you don't cry. (not really)**

CHAPTER 22

As soon as Hayuri was out of the room, Killua had a heavy feeling on his chest. He hadn't really wanted to hurt Hayuri with those harsh words. Ever since last night, a knot had settled on his throat and hadn't left. He still cared about her, but he was deeply hurt. He didn't know how to deal with this kind of thing, since it was the first time he ever felt this way. In the end, he had unconsciously decided to hurt her back.

Killua sighed and looked up to find that he all alone in the room. It then dawned on him that this probably would be the only chance he'd ever have to get out of there. He stood up, his mind suddenly sharp, and looked around for a way to go out. The lightning of the place where the prisoners were kept was low and he could barely catch any details on the outside. From what he could see with his sharp eyes, the room was empty besides the wooden chair in which the guard on turn would sit on. The translucent wall that separated his cell from the outside was, apparently, unbreakable. He was on edge; he needed to find a way out **now**. He cursed again and paced around the room in deep thought.

Suddenly, a green light appeared on both doors to his cell and to the hallway outside. Killua crouched in anticipation. _What the hell is going on?_ Not two seconds later, both doors opened up and the lights went out. The only thing that slightly light the room were some small red lights that apparently were part of the fire security system. Killua stood there for what seemed like an eternity, his mind overdrive, wondering if this was some sort of trap. In reality, only a couple seconds had passed when he made up his mind. He tensed his body and sprinted outside of his cell and into the hallway. There was a guard walking to the entrance and Killua knocked him out as he dashed past him. He was surprised to find that the door that led outside of the hallway was also open. He felt his heart speed up as he exited and didn't even look at the man that was sitting on the desk, calling out though a communicator.

"What's going on in he-? Who's there!" the man questioned and blindly turned to look both ways.

Killua was inwardly grateful that the lights had been lower inside the cell, since his eyes had quickly adapted to the dark. Probably, people on the outside were having a hard time seeing anything at all. He thought about this as he run up the stairs the two levels that he had been led down before. Not five seconds later, he had come to the hall that was packed with people. There was a complete chaos and everyone was yelling and asking about the current situation.

Killua knew that he had only a couple seconds left until their eyes became adjusted to the darkness. He dashed to the entrance where they had been searched at their entrance, noticing with surprise that that door was also wide open. He walked right out of it and entered out of the building in three mere seconds.

He didn't stop; he ran at full speed, his mind on overdrive and looking back over his shoulder every couple seconds to see if anyone was after him. Killua ran down the hill and into a forest like a cat, his body crouched down and leaning forward.

His mind was filled with questions as he ran through the woods at top speed. Was this a coincidence? Did he really just get lucky?

Killua had run for almost half an hour when his mind had finally settled down. He could now think clearly and wonder what on earth had happened down there. _What is going on? Why did they let me out? Did their system break down? At this time?_

His thoughts were interrupted as he watched as dawn quickly descended on the sky; it would be night in only a couple minutes. That night the sky was dark; there was no moon and the sky was packed with dark clouds, so Killua decided that he was safe from being followed. Apparently it would rain soon and he would get lost if he traveled back to the palace in the pitch dark, so he would be safer if he found some shelter. As the last of the daylight was disappearing from sight, he was a minuscule cave next to a small stream. He stooped next to eat, gulped down some water and stretched his legs a bit. He neared the cave, threw a stone inside and entered cautiously. Apparently there were no animals in there, so he settled down. Killua lay on his back for a while, watching the little stars on the sky twinkle.

Killua, finally being able to sort of relax since he had left the palace, furrowed his brows. This was completely strange. How come he had been allowed to leave? Was he even allowed to leave? Was this a trap? Had Hayuri helped him escape that place? It didn't make any sense. He was part of the business and, therefore, he knew that payment only happened when the job was done. These hunters wouldn't get a penny if they didn't deliver him to the client. If she had wanted to help him all along, why didn't she say something earlier? Why did she wait until he was captured? It was completely nonsense; there was no way that had happened. He had really just had a lucky strike? That was kind of unbelievable as well.

Killua sighed in resignation and rolled to his side. His hands were right in front of his face and he smelled the slight smell of blood on them. He knew it was not his. He had scrubbed Hayuri's blood off his underwear when had noticed it. Somehow, the scent of it had remained on his hands and it filled Killua with memories. He remembered the night they had shared and how she had kissed him. As he closed his eyes and remember her actions and the way she had looked at him. The way she had touched him and hugged him; with passion but also a sort of emotional **need**. She hadn't had sex with him; she had made love to him. She had not been doing it for the job; she had been doing it with all of her soul. Killua closed his eyes and a small smile formed on his lips. Her words also echoed on his mind as he rolled on his back.

 _"I have dreamt about you in ways that I would be too embarrassed to admit, but somehow the thought of never seeing you again prevents from it. I thought about you when I was alone at night. Therefore, what I wanted to ask of you is... would you..." she stopped midsentence, since she had the urge to cover her blushing face._

 _"I... I'm in love with you, Killua. I really am."_

Killua had been so angry and, truth be said, panicked back in the cell that he had allowed it to get to his head. Now that he could think more clearly, he was certain that those words that been true. For a moment, he wondered if he was now on denial, but he was now certain that what she had said was true, and she hadn't done any of that for the job. It had been too real and too heartfelt.

" _Clearly, because in the end you were just another bitch with no sense of ethic."_

" _She screamed like a slut."_

His words to her came back to him like a slap on the face, his eyebrows furrowing in frustration. He shouldn't have said those things out of spite. He now clearly remembered the sad look on her face as he said those things to her. He tightened his fists and closed his eyes for a moment. He had been so cruel to her… but how could he not? She had betrayed him and given him away for a job. He had trusted her with his life and she had thrown it all in his face. However, that didn't sum up to him. She had never seemed that kind of person to him.

Killua thought hard, his excellent memory allowing him to recall things that she had said to him before. He remembered the times both of their lives had been in danger and one of last conversations they'd had.

 _"I… I would never let a friend die just because I might lose... fear losing my life." Hayuri said as Killua held her and her blood pooled on the ground._

 _"I was so scared. I-I thought I would never see you again." She said as tears kept streaming down her green eyes. "I'm so happy that you're alive. You don't know how much it means to me."_

 _"We've known each other for, what, nine months? Somehow, after this time, you've become the closest thing I have to a family. I'll be damned before I lose contact with you."_

Killua frowned. Had that been a lie? Had it been the truth? It sure as hell had seemed like the truth. Maybe she had been forced to do the job? He knew that these people had taken her in as a kid, but they were practically mercenaries nonetheless. He sighed and cleared his mind, remembering what he knew about them. An important fact came to mind, and he couldn't help but agree with her words.

 _"Hah, you wouldn't know. They're stronger than you; considerably stronger than you. Any of the leaders would be able to beat the crap out both us simultaneously."_

It was true; Killua would've never been able to get away from them on his own. If they had come to him to catch him, they probably would've beaten the crap out of him before taking him to their hideout. More importantly, if that had been the case, he would've been too injured to actually manage to escape later on. He had been lucky that Hayuri had chosen that course of action to bind his hands. Maybe even she'd done it on purpose, so that he had a chance of escaping. If that was the case… why not simply tell him before they arrived? Another memory came to him.

 _"Yesterday everything seemed to be all right with your job. What changed?" Killua asked._

 _"I... I cannot tell you."_

He furrowed his brows and suddenly he remembered the graduation. The moment his name had been called she had become tense and unfocused. He had mixed two letters in his last name in a way that he could be easily contacted by his family. Anyone looking for a Zoldyck would've known that it was him when they called his fake last name. Maybe… she hadn't known that her target was him until the end? After all, he hadn't told her about her family's business till the end. Had the change in her mission been the fact that her target was him? Why did it suddenly become it more difficult? She had known all along that she had to catch a Zoldyck. Zoldyck's had a terrifying reputation and she must've known about it. The fact that he himself was her target may have made her mission more complicated or morally incorrect. However, not more **difficult**.

He growled and narrowed his eyes as he searched through his memories again. Another one about the hunters that she worked with came back to Killua and, when it did, he sat up with a start. His eyes wide and his body tense.

 _"Actually, I've seen that happen where I work at as well. They expect complete loyalty and dedication from every member and they don't tolerate treason." Hayuri spoke and her voice shook a little. "Once, a member tried to steal a treasure that we'd gathered in order to pay his child's treatment. He was executed and I saw how conflicted he had been. It was horrible."_

Killua sat in shock as a barricade of memories from the last day hit him and everything seemed to click.

 _"I... don't know if I will get out of this one alive."_

" _There's no use trying to get out of there; the only way that'll happen is when we allow you to."_

" _I have to say though, that I never really expected you to be blind for so long. Your emotions really can get in the way of your clear thinking, huh?"_

Killua's hands shook furiously as he looked down to the flood and chanted.

"No. No. No. No. . ." He tightly shut his eyes and clenched his jaw. How could he have not noticed before? He had known her for so long, he had been sure to know her better than anyone else. He had always known she had a strong sense of ethic and always rejected jobs that weren't aligned with her values. She had never really betrayed him; she had done everything so that he could get away. She had known it was the only chance he had given the circumstances. She had personally chosen to be a traitor to them and save his life.

 _ **They don't tolerate treason**_

Killua stood up with complete angst and horror covering his face and, without a second thought, ran off back to the bunker he'd just escaped from. He would not leave her to die after what she'd done for him. He didn't want her to die after everything that they'd been together; he would miss her **so badly**. Last night he had been too shocked to think clearly, but he was sure now; he loved her too. He wanted to share his days with her and kiss her every chance he got.

Killua had only ran for about two minutes when desperation started building in him. It had taken him half an hour to get where he was and he had stayed there for another half an hour. One and a half hour would more than enough to execute someone because of treason. He was running at top speed, but he knew that if probably was no enough.

 _Faster, I need to go faster._

Killua pushed his body to move even faster than before, but he feared he would not get there in time. Would he get there to find her dead body on the ground? Would he even find her?

 _Faster, come on!_

Killua pushed his body to its limit and still found that it was not enough. He remembered how Hayuri had used her ability to increase her speed before. His eyes widened and he slowed down a bit as he concentrated. Killua used his hatsu and sent electric shock though his body, feeling as his muscles managed to move faster during that moment.

 _I can do this._

Killua took a deep breath in and allowed his whole body to be filled with electricity. He wasn't prepared for the speed he would be able to attain. His body moved to fast that, if it weren't for his trained eyes and superior instincts, he would've crashed on a tree or something.

He did some calculations and came to the conclusion that he was ten times faster than usual. And so, he stopped three minutes later behind some trees that surrounded the hill where the hideout was located in. He crouched down and his heart was pounding on his chest. How was he even supposed to get in? Was Hayuri still in there? Had she managed to escape? Killua closed his eyes as his nen went into zetsu mode and he felt the presence of a bunch of people on the other side of the entrance that they'd used. Killua decided to check it out. He crouched down and, as silent as ever, he sped through the tress in that direction.

He stopped 100 meters away from where he felt them and peeked out through the bushes. There was some sort of gathering of at least a dozen hunters, three of them being the ones that had brought him to the hideout the previous night. Killua noticed that they were looking towards a point that was hidden by the rocks. He swiftly and quietly moved among the vegetation and, as he did, he noticed that the blonde – Markus - was saying something with a dead serious face and a nasty scowl.

Killua felt his heart sink as what had been hidden from view became visible to him. It was Hayuri. She seemed to be fine, but she was standing there with her eyes closed and a resigned body language. There were tears streaming down her eyes and Killua felt his heart clench. It was clear that she wouldn't be fine for long. Killua knew that it would be near suicidal to go out and help her, but he fast really fast now. If he managed to get to her in time, he could to carry her away to safety. However, something in the back of his mind was forcing his legs to stay rooted on the ground. Killua closed his eyes as he fought the foreign command. He wanted; he needed to save her. He knew there was a slim chance, but he needed to take it. Killua took a step forward, but a pain in his head prevented him from going forward. He held his head and inwardly cursed.

 _What the hell?!_

He struggled for a while as his body shook. He closed his eyes and noticed that there was something **in his brain**. Killua took a deep breath in and plugged his claws into his head and removed a needle. Killua frowned and decided to curse Illumi later. His mind was finally clear and he looked up with determination. However, before he had a chance to take another step forward Markus used nen. In the blink of an eye, a sort of nen based gun appeared on his right hand, pointed forward at Hayuri and shot.

Killua's eyes widened in shock as he saw the nen bullet impact right in the middle of her forehead. The impact was so strong, that her body darted at least 10 meters back and fell to the ground. Killua felt his hands shake as the cloud of dust cleared up; there was a huge hole in Hayuri's head and there was blood pooling around her.

 _No…_

Killua had to crouch down as his body went into shock and he felt dizzy. He took a couple deep breaths and tried to calm down. Maybe it hadn't killed her. Maybe it was a nen ability with a different effect. Killua watched as everyone turned around and walked back inside. As soon as the last person had gotten inside, Killua dashed towards her.

As he kneeled down next to her, he felt tears well up on his eyes. Hayuri's eyes were slightly open and unfocused. The pool of blood on the ground was getting too big. He moved a trembling hand to shake her slightly. She didn't respond. Killua leaned forward and put his ear on her chest. Her heartbeat was so slow, that at first he thought that she was dead. That didn't make him feel any better. He wasn't stupid. That kind of damage to the brain could not be reversed or healed. He raised one of his hands, which was now soaked in her blood and cupped her face. He moved to look into her dead eyes and his tears dripped on her forehead.

"I'm so sorry…" he spoke with a broken voice. "I'm so sorry. This is my entire fault. I should've known. I should've moved faster just now. I should've trusted you and told you who I was before. I shouldn't have said those cruel things to you out of spite."

Killua moved forward to hug her still body as his body shook and he quietly cried. He moved his head to the crook of her neck and inhaled her scent one more time. He kissed her neck softly then closed his eyes.

"I love you too, Hayuri. I'm sorry I didn't let you know before. I'm sorry you had to die thinking I didn't." He spoke clearly as he caressed her dusty hair. His chest was in so much pain, that he now understood where the term heart break came from. Suddenly, there was a rustling and there were footsteps going his way.

"HEY!"

Killua jerked up and watched through teary eyes as a couple of hunters ran his way at top speed. He shook his head to clear his head and looked at Hayuri one last time. He used his nen ability and disappearing from sight in a flash.

 **A/N: Damn, right? You weren't expecting that, were you?**

 **MadokaMagica1998: yeah, you were right. She never would've betrayed him for real.**

 **Macherry: He did apologize… but apparently it was too late.**

 **Elisablackcat: Don't bring the world down just yet!**

 **Guest: Damn, I feel sorry for the both of them. T_T**


	23. Alive but unwell

CHAPTER 23

Hayuri woke up to a sharp and numbing pain in her head. She softly groaned as her head felt incredibly dizzy, which forced her to keep her eyes closed. She breathed in and out for a while and, slowly, she felt her numb body start to feel. She was glad, for one part, since it meant the she was still alive. On the other hand, her whole body hurt like hell, especially her head; she felt as if she'd been hit by a train. She stayed still for a moment and noticed that she was laying on her back on a hard surface. After a while, she managed to move her numb fingers and slightly turn her head to the side. A wave of dizziness came over her and she moved her head back to the front. When her dizziness faded, she slowly opened up her eyes. At first, her sight was blurry, but it slowly came focused and she saw that she was right behind the hideout. From where she lay, she decided that here didn't seem to be anybody around her. However, it was almost dawn, so that wouldn't last long.

Hayuri slowly sat down holding her head with a hand as the other supported her weight. She took a deep breath in and felt the dizziness fade a bit. She achieved a half smile.

 _It worked._

Hayuri new that she needed to get out of there soon or she would get killed. She stood up drowsily, her body slightly leaning to one side, and headed towards the shelter of the trees. As she walked – barely - , the sun started rising and her heart sped up; she knew that every morning they would check their surroundings. Somehow, she managed to get out of their scouting range in a good fifteen minutes. However, her knees were weak and she was starting to see blurry once again. She had never been so thirsty in her life; her lips were dry and cracked, dried blood on them. Hayuri assumed that she was dehydrated due to blood loss, since she could also feel her body colder than it should've been in this climate and her skin itched like hell.

She closed her eyes for a couple seconds and concentrated. The sound of running water reached her ears and, with a sudden spark of energy, she stumbled towards the noise. Three minutes later, she was throwing her body heavily next to a stream and gulped down water like a madman. She lay there drinking and resting for ten minutes and then stood up.

She was feeling slightly better now – still terrible though - and decided to follow the stream downhill, further from the hideout. She had wanted to get away as much as she could, but after only one hour of walking slowly, her body was too sore and her head was in too much pain. She drank some more water and gathered some leaves under a tree to cover herself up. As soon as her body was camouflaged, she blacked out.

When she came to again, it was midday and she was feeling rather ok. Her head still hurt a bit and her body was still sore, but she could manage. She got up slowly, drank some more water and ate the fruits of a blackberry that she was glad she found. The sugar in her bloodstream and the great amount of water she drank did miracles to her. Not five minutes later, she was jogging through the forest at a medium speed.

Hayuri decided to head to a small town that was nine hours away from the hideout. There was another village closer, but she didn't want to push her luck. She took another whole day to get there, since her body was still weak and her head still ached from time to time. She stopped twice to eat, drink water and sleep for a couple more hours.

When the town finally came to view, her body was worn out and she was beat. She didn't even have the energy to **think** about anything, as her mind was numb and exhausted. Her legs were shaky and she could barely feel her own feet. Coming back from the dead had taken a huge toll on her body and mind. Whatever she could've done with little effort before, was now a heavy task for her.

The town wasn't big; probably around 10,000 habitants. However and if she recalled correctly, today was Sunday morning and the streets were packed with people. There were countless couples, families and various groups of people walking around the main street. As the sun was the highest, Hayuri walked past shops as she looked for a place to stay. She came across a regular looking house that had a poster, which read 'room available'. The place seemed cheap but decent, so she made up her mind in a second, not willing to waster any more energy. She softly knocked on the door and, not a minute later, an older woman opened up. Half of her hair was gray and she had a middle contexture that was dressed up in common and plain clothing. Her big brown eyes widened at the sight of the young woman at her door.

"Oh, my." She gasped. "You look terrible. Are you ok?"

"Kind of." Hayuri said with a raspy voice and wondered about her appearance. "Do you have any spare rooms?"

"I do. I'm sorry, but I would need you to pay in advance." The woman apologized. "I've received many travelers who took off before I even got to tell them how much they owed me."

"No problem. How much is it for a night?"

"It's $2 for one night, $10 for a week and $25 for a month."

"All right. I'll pay for one night, for now." Hayuri said as she reached into her pouch and retrieved the sum that the woman had asked for.

"Thank you." She smiled and moved aside. "Come on in, you look like you need a rest."

Hayuri nodded and stepped inside with a grateful smile. The place was simple but cozy and there was a small fireplace in the middle of the living room. The kitchen was in the rame room and it was rustic and kind of old, which it warmed the whole place up. Hayuri heard the woman walk towards her and she was handed a piece of bread.

"This is on me" she smiled as Hayuri took it with a nod and thanked her. "I hope that you rest well. Come, I'll show you where the bathroom and your bedroom are."

Hayuri followed the woman, thanked her once again, and entered the bathroom. When she finally looked at her reflection in the mirror her eyes widened; she was a mess. First of all, her whole body was dusty – even muddy – and the back of her head and her shoulder were covered in dried blood. Her brown skin looked pale and there were huge bags under her eyes. Her dried lips felt better than before, but they looked terrible. Her eyes were bloodshot and her hair was a complete mess. She wondered how come the lady had even allowed her inside. She quickly washed her hair and body, careful not to leave a mess in the small bathroom. She dried up and headed to her bedroom.

The room was not too small, and it had a single bed on one side, next to a window. There was also a chair, a small table and a wardrobe. Hayuri suddenly remembered that she had no clothes or belongings at all. She discarded the thought, deciding to deal with it the next day, and allowed herself to fall on the bed. She sighed with contentment and closed her eyes. She would finally get some well-deserved rest.

\- Time skip –

The morning sun entered through the small window and warmed a bundle of covers that lay on the wooden bed. The bundle moved slightly and Hayur's head popped out with barely open eyes. She smiled softly, noticing that it was only 9 am and she still had plenty of time to get up. She yawned and stretched her body like a cat. She lay there for a while and looked at the old ceiling with a thoughtful expression.

She had been staying in the house for five days now, and had done nothing but rest. She had thought that she would've recovered by now, but it didn't seem to be the case. Hayuri was feeling quite all right, but no fully; her body felt weaker and more fragile, for some reason. She had assumed that making a vow involving nen would only suppress her aura for a while. She'd never thought that it would take a toll on her physical body. It wasn't that she felt _sick_ , but she felt strange. Maybe her vow had had to take more of her than she'd originally thought, since it had repaired her **brain** after all.

Hayuri was quite proud of herself; she'd managed to find a new way to use her nen ability. She had always thought that the manipulation of the nen channels in the body could be only used for hurting and paralyzing. Only at the imminent knowledge of her own death had she wondered about its healing powers. It had taken only a while for her to decide on a way to test it out, and it would've meant her death if it hadn't worked. She had been lucky. Or capable. Or maybe both.

Unfortunately, she had never used this ability before and, therefore, she had no idea how long it would take for her nen to return. She was certain that it would not take less than a month, since her brain had to be practically reconstructed from scratch. Hayuri assumed that it would take around three months, from the amount of energy it must've drained from her. Maybe it would take less, maybe it would take more.

She had also been sort of worried; she had lost her cell phone and hadn't been able to get in touch with Killua. First of all, she wanted to make sure that he was fine. She knew that he'd managed to get out of the hideout, but she wasn't certain the he hadn't been caught later on. On the other hand, she wanted to clear things up with him. He clearly hadn't realized what she'd been doing for him and had even said some cruel things to her. She had been hurt by his words, but she knew that he'd done it out of spite. Hell, maybe she would've reacted the same way is it had been her in his place. She had already decided to go a find him – she had no clue where to find him though - as soon as she felt better and had her nen back.

Hayuri slowly stood up and walked to the bathroom. She stood under the warm water for ten minutes, thoroughly washing herself up, and then dried up. She dressed up with comfortable baggy pants and a loose shirt, glad that she didn't need to wear battle practical clothing for once.

She walked out and greeted the old lady that had taken her in – Laila - receiving a smile and a nod in return. Both of them had immediately gotten along, their personalities complementing since they first talked. Hayuri hadn't really told her anything about what had happened and the woman hadn't asked; she probably figured that it was a touchy or personal subject. Hayuri walked to the Laila and offered to help prepare breakfast. When they finished, they sat down together and ate in comfortable conversation, as they had been doing for the last couple days. Just as Hayuri was about to get some more tea, there was a commotion heard outside in the main street. Both women looked at each other and walked to the entrance, taking a peek outside. Everybody seemed to be talking about something important, since they were giddy and anxious.

"Excuse me." Laila stopped a woman who was walking just past the open door to the house. "May I ask what the commotion is about?"

"Oh! It's big news!" she said and clapped her hands together. "Word has just arrived that the monarchy has been overthrown."

"What?" both women widened their eyes and stepped out of the house.

"Yes. It's big news. Apparently the anti-monarchy rebels have taken over the country." The woman said with a wide smile.

"Oh, my." Layla covered her mouth with her hands. "I just hope this doesn't turn bad. I've heard plenty of rebellions becoming just another tyranny."

"Oh no, I don't think it will." The young woman said with a smile. "They're calling for elections in a week or so."

"Who will be the candidates?" Laila asked with a frown. "I don't think there will be enough time to find someone who represents all of us."

"Oh well, it can be done later, on the next elections." The woman shrugged. "At least we got a say in things now."

"Excuse me." Hayuri spoke up for the first time. "May I ask how they managed to overthrow the monarchy? I've heard that their security was impeccable."

"Oh, yes. I've heard that too. However, is appeared that it was not the case." the woman smirked. "The successor of the throne was assassinated as soon as he had been elected. No one knows how it was done or who did it. They say that it was a professional hitman or something."

Hayuri's eyes widened for a second and then nodded at the information. Soon the woman walked away and they went back inside. Hayuri served herself some more tea and sat down. She looked down to her cup and couldn't help the wide smile that appeared in her face. Her eyes almost teared up as she felt relief wash over her.

 _You're all right._

\- Time skip –

Hayuri paid a man that stood behind a cart full of fresh vegetables and took two bags full of supplies for the week. She walked down the main street and looked at the cheerful faces of the people surrounding her. The general mood of the population had notoriously increased since the monarchy had been overthrown three weeks ago. Every town and village in the country had put up a voting post for presidential and senate elections.

A well-known business man had been elected as the leader of the country. He had the support of the rebels that had taken the monarchy out and his propaganda had been huge. He had won by a huge gap; he had doubled the second best candidate. Hayuri had been wondering about that, thinking that it was unfair. There hadn't even been a proper debate on the candidate's ideas or agendas. The business man had carried out a violent propaganda and buried his opponents. She had the sinking feeling, that this new president was the business man that she and Killua had heard about when they heard one of the rebel's reunions. She remembered that the man had wanted special treatment in order to help the rebels, and couldn't help but scowl every time the fact came to mind. Hayuri wanted to look more into the issue and find out if he was really up for a good cause or if he just wanted power.

However, Hayuri had dissuaded herself from doing that. Her nen still wasn't back yet; she couldn't use, Hatsu, Ten, Ren, or any other form of nen manipulation. It would be too risky to get involved in something if she wasn't capable of properly defending herself, especially in consideration of the fact that the rebels had nen users among them.

Unexpectedly, Hayuri stopped walking and had to lean on the wall of a shop. She felt dizzy and saw black dots as she put the grocery bags on the floor for a while. Half a minute later she felt her strength come back to her and picked the grocery bags up to resume walking.

That was also another reason why she'd decided not to investigate the elections further. Her body still felt off and she wasn't feeling at her fullest yet. Actually, she was growing worried for her own health. Sometimes she thought that she had the flu or some virus, but the ill feeling came only at times and it didn't last long. Her body felt as though there was some immune problem or some sort of organ failure. On that track, Hayuri wondered if the nen vow had taken a toll on her body. Maybe, in order to reconstruct her brain, her nen had somehow hurt another organ as a side effect.

The old woman, Laila, apparently hadn't realized that there was something up with her. On second thought, Hayuri decided that maybe she did, but didn't want to stick her nose up in her personal business. Hayuri also hadn't brought the issue up when they spoke, because she didn't want her to worry without need. However, the feeling of illness had only grown for the last couple weeks and she finally decided that there was something up with her.

By now, Hayuri actually felt a sufficient amount of trust in the woman to tell her about it. They had quickly become friends and had a really peaceful coexistence. Laila was a 65 year old woman, but her cheerful soul and sharp mind were those of a young woman. She was pretty humble and usually didn't take anything personal. Her sense of justice and loyalty were as strong a Hayuri's and she had a critical mind. Due to all of this, the both of them had immediately related to eachother and become friends in a matter of weeks.

As she opened the door to the house, she decided that she'd have to talk to someone about her physical issues. Hayuri left the grocery bags in the kitchen counter and helped Laila put the things away in the fridge and the pantry. When the last things were stored Hayuri looked at Laila shortly and decided that she was the only person that she could currently talk about. She would try to leave out nen as much as she could and explain her nen vow in an abstract and sketchy manner.

"Hey… Laila?" She said as she sat in front of the wooden table that they ate on every day. Laila was still standing in front of the counter, right next to her, as she cleaned some stains up.

"Yeah?" she said slightly turning her head to eye her briefly. For some reason, she immediately caught her serious manner and sat down in front of her.

"Well… I think there's something wrong with me." Hayuri said with a slight frown.

"I was wondering when you'd bring that up." The older woman smiled.

 **A/N: Well, this was a short chapter. YAY! Hayuri's alive. Next chapter you'll find out more about Killua.. probably.**

 **MadokaMagica1998: Heh, she actually did kind of materialize her own brain. Also, thank you for your support. I'm glad that it doesn't look rushed. I've thought about things a lot,…. Up until to this point. XD So now I'm laying the outlines on what will happen in the next chapters.**

 **Hexel-JustAnotherReader: Good. That was my goal this chapter. I wanted you all to be like.. DAMN NO!**


	24. Kukuroo Mountain

CHAPTER 24

The city square was busting with people, everyone doing their own thing. There seemed to be some kind of holiday, since there was a stage with live music. Most people stopped for a couple minutes to listen for a while and then kept going. Amongst them was a hooded figure that wore a dark green cloak and listened like everyone else. Finally walked into a shop that offered tourist services and sat down in front of a desk. The man sitting on the other side didn't appear to notice her presence as he wrote down something and organized a pile of sheets. A good 30 seconds later, the figure fidgeted uncomfortably and cleared its throat.

"H-huh?" the man jumped in his seat at the sudden noise. "He-Hello there! I didn't notice you there. How may I help you?"

"Hey." The figure spoke with a feminine voice, and the man assumed it was a woman. He couldn't see her face clearly, though. "I heard you have a bus that goes up to Kukuroo Mountain."

"Oh, yes!" the man straightened up. "It's out most demanded service. It costs $20, but it's completely worth it! It's a tour that surrounds the Zoldyck property."

"I know. I'd like to go as soon as possible."

"The next available bus will leave in…" he trailed off as he checked a schedule. "2 hours. Do you wish to make a reservation?"

"Yes, please." The woman said handing him the amount of money. "The name's Hayuri Castañeda."

"All done, Miss Hayuri. Please arrive five minutes earlier; the bus will part promptly at 2 pm."

"Thank you."

Hayuri walked out of the shop and into the street. She found a small restaurant, sat down and ordered a chicken stew. As she ate, she couldn't help but feel the anticipation grow in her gut. She hadn't seen Killua in over 4 months and she didn't know how he would react to her presence. Would he be angry? Would he forgive her? Is he even home? Will his family allow her to enter? There were countless questions in her mind and she couldn't help become anxious as the departing time neared.

Ten minutes previous to the appointed time, she was standing by the shop and saw a yellow bus parking in front of it. She walked closer and saw a pink haired woman getting off. She checked that everyone who got in was on the list and, as soon as everyone was seated, the bus took off. Hayuri looked around for a moment and noticed that there were only families and couples in the bus.

"Everyone! Thank you for taking the Lamentation Tour today." the pink haired woman stood up and talked through a microphone with a wide smile. "We'll be visiting Kukuroo Mountain, home to the famous Zoldyck family. All of its members are assassins and they have the most terrifying reputation on that matter."

Hayuri sighed, already knowing all of this and looked out the window. The bus was driving on a dusty road surrounded by nature. The bus took a turn and, after a couple minutes, they passed a small hill and everyone gaped at the view that was uncovered.

"Please take a look to your right, where you can clearly see the mountain. The mountain is 3,722 meters high and is surrounded by a forest." The guide said and Hayuri raised an eyebrow. Did Killua really live in this place? It seemed like a scenery taken from a horror movie; the mountain had no vegetation at all and it looked really shady, since the top was covered with thick mist.

"The Zoldyck property is somewhere inside that mountain, but no one has ever seen it. It's practically a legend." The woman said in a mysterious tone.

Hayuri cursed. If no one knew where it was, how was she supposed to go and find him? She had assumed that the guide tour would take them into the property and they would get to see the house. On the other hand, it was ridiculous to have considered that; it was the Zoldyck family after all. Hayuri sighed and looked out the window.

"The Zoldyck family includes 10 members: a great-grandfather, a grandfather, grandmother, father, mother and five children. And of course, all of their servants."

Hayuri took a mental note of that, since she had never really known anything about his family. Fifteen minutes later, the bus stopped and everyone got off. Hayuri found herself standing in front of a huge gate. It was craved with dragons and other mythological creatures and, to the naked eye, it looked to be 40 or 50 meters high.

"This over here is the grand front gate of the Zoldyck Estate and it's known as the Gate to the Hades. No one that has ever entered this place has come back alive. To get in you must enter through the smaller door next to the guard cabin. Beyond this door, everything – including the forest and the mountain - is owned by the Zoldyck Family, so this is as far as we'll go."

Everyone was pretty excited and run to the gate. Hayuri sweat dropped as she watched everyone make scary faces and take photos. Hayuri noticed that there was a small guard post nest to the gate and there was someone inside. She was about to walk to him, when the pink haired lady instructed everyone to get back on the bus. She noticed that Hayuri wasn't walking back to the bus and called out to her.

"Oi, Miss!" she shouted and everyone turned to look at Hayuri, and she sweat dropped. _So much for not catching attention._ "Aren't you getting back on the bus?"

"No, go ahead and leave." Hayuri waved her off.

"Err, but this was out final stop. We can't come back for you later."

"I know. I'll stay here."

"Didn't you hear what I said earlier? Beyond that gate it's private property, so we **cannot** get in." She half frowned and forced a smile.

"Oh, I heard you." Hayuri waved her off, slightly annoyed. "I'm visiting someone here."

Everyone gaped at her and started whispering. Hayuri had a sharp hearing, so she didn't miss how they talked about her. That she had seemed too mysterious with that long cloak of hers, that she was signing her own death sentence, that maybe she was part of the family, the she must've been crazy or a bad person to be associated with the Zoldyck's. Hayuri rolled her eyes and walked to the guard post and knocked on the door.

"Hello there." An old man with almost completely white hair opened the door. "How may I help you?"

"Hello. Well... I need to enter the Estate." Hayuri said scratching the back of her head.

"Are you here as a bounty hunter?" the main widened his eyes in fear, but Hayuri noticed how his aura was calm; she knew he was faking. _Probably part of his job._

"Oh no, I've come here to visit a Killua." Hayuri said.

"Master Killua?" the man widened his eyes and walked back into the guard post. "Please, come in."

Hayuri followed him inside and sat down in front of him in front of a wooden table. He smiled honestly and leaned forward to take a good look at her. Hayuri noticed this and lowered her hood.

"My name is Zebro." The man said as soon as she revealed her face.

"I'm Hayuri, pleased to meet you."

"Well, I must say I'm surprised. I've been working here for 25 years and have seen a visitor before. We only get bounty hunters and tourists." He spoke as he served some tea for the both of them.

"I can imagine that."

"So, are you really supposed to get in? Or are you meeting him here at the entrance?" Zebro asked as she sipped his mug.

"Actually, he doesn't really know I'm coming." Hayuri scratched the back of her head. She then looked at him expectantly. "So… is Killua home?"

"Oh yes, he came back a couple months ago and hasn't left since…" he said and looked up in a thoughtful manner as he cupped his chin. "Now that I think about it, it's strange. He usually goes out at least two or three times a month to complete jobs. It has been four months already and I haven't seen a glimpse of him."

"Maybe something happened to him…" Hayuri said and looked down to her tea mug with worry.

"Well… I think something happened on his last mission. The day he came back, there was a lost look on his eyes and didn't even greet me. It was completely out of character, since he usually is the only one to greet me and he's pretty cheerful – for a Zoldyck, that is."

Hayuri closed her eyes and figured that he must've been upset by her supposed betrayal. She needed to make things right with him and tell him everything that was on her mind. She took a deep breath in and looked up with determined green eyes.

"I have to see him, please."

"Well… there has never been a visitor before. And I can tell you that probably the Zoldyck parents won't allow you to enter; I don't think they appreciate any of the members having friends."

"What!" Hayuri's eyes widened. "But I really have to see him. I can't take any chances."

"Well… I have an idea, but it may not work." Zebro said and she nodded. He pointed out side to the front door. "That small door there is a trap. There is a big dog in there that will eat anyone going through that place. The real entrance is the huge doors going up to 40 meters high, which can only be opened by pushing. You have to be able to at least push 4 tons if you wish to enter."

"No problem. That doesn't seem too hard."

"Hold on." Zebro raised his open palm. "Once you get inside, you'll have to find master Killua and avoid the butlers – they're pretty strong. There's one butler who might give you a hand; her name is Canary. She guards the first line of security when entering the property, so if you don't find her she will find you. She's loyal to Master Killua, so maybe you can get her to help you out."

"Ok. Canary. Got it." Hayuri nodded.

"Well.. That's all I can do for you. You see, I have never really entered the property, so I'm only telling you what I've heard or seen." He apologized.

"You've helped me a lot." Hayuri said bowing as she stood up.

"You're welcome." Zebro said standing up and walked out of the post. Hayuri followed him to the 'Gates of Hades' - as they called it on the tour – and turned to look back. Behind Zebro, there was still the bus with tourist parked and observing her. She sweat dropped; apparently they wanted to watch what she did, since apparently she was associated with these people. Hayuri dismissed them and focused her eyes back on Zebro.

"Thank you a lot. I'll see you on my way out." She said bowing to him.

Hayuri turned back to the doors and placed both palms on the stone. She started pushing and opened four gates easily enough. As she passed through the gates, the faint screams and cameras of the tourist on the bus could be heard. Zebro looked with a furrowed brow as the doors closed behind her retreating form.

 _You're strong, but that may not suffice for your return to be certain, Hayuri-san._

\- Time skip –

Hayuri had been walking uphill through a dense lush forest for about two hours. She noticed that there was a clear lack of animals in the ecosystem and assumed that there probably was a dominant species that predated on every other animal, since there didn't seem to be a lack of resources. She wondered what kind of animal would consume almost all of the other species like that. Her mind was filled with thoughts about big felines or big prey birds, deciding that she should be careful of running into a big pack of whatever they were; she didn't want to be heard or seen by anyone yet.

After some time, as she walked through the trees parallel to the dusty road, she felt a presence. She raised her head and changed her stance with caution. In a blur, a young Afro-American woman appeared on front of her. She was dressed with butler clothing and had beautiful curly hair, which was short and allowed her slender neck to be seen. She must've been a couple years old than Hayuri.

"You're trespassing private property, so I have to ask you to go back. If you don't, I'll have to remove you by force." She said with a plain and serious voice.

"You must be Canary." Hayuri smiled a bit and spoke with confidence. She liked this woman; she had fierce and controlled look in her eyes, but Hayuri managed to see that there was kindness in them. When the woman heard her name being called, her eyes widened slightly. "I came to find you."

"Me? I don't know you." She said and narrowed her eyes. "I'll tell you once again; leave."

"I can't do that. I've come to see Killua and won't leave until I see him." She said and watched the woman's eyes widen again and she swore she saw them soften a bit.

"Master Killua?" she straightened up. "Do you have authorization from the head butler?"

"Err… not really. I don't want Killua's family to know I'm here. That's why I came to you." Hayuri said and saw that Canary narrowed her eyes. "You are loyal to him, aren't you?"

"I'm loyal to the Zoldyck Family." She answered seriously, but Hayuri already knew that she was close to Killua from her previous reaction.

"I know it's your job to keep me from entering any further from here. I won't cause you any more trouble; I'll stay here and won't walk any further. So, could you please fetch Killua for me?"

Canary's eyes widened and Hayuri saw the hesitation in her body language. It was obvious that she would feel conflicted about that; she was asking her to do something that might get her fired it she was found out.

"How do I even know that you're saying the truth? Maybe you don't even know Master Killua and want to harm him. How do I know you're not fooling me? You have no proof." The woman narrowed her eyes once again.

Hayuri furrowed her brows; she should've known that the woman right here wouldn't give in so easily. She thought hard for a moment and then took a deep breath in. Canary raised her guard immediately and took a couple steps back. Hayuri didn't blame her; the two of them must've been around the same strength level and she would've been just as cautious. Hayuri released the breath she was holding and sat down on the leafy ground.

"Come, sit." She said and gestured in front of her. "I'll tell you all about it, but it'll take a while."

Canary raised an eyebrow and finally decided to sit two meters away from Hayuri, still being watchful around her. Hayuri told her everything. From how they met at the hunter exam, how they trained together and became friends, how things changed between them. She told her about how she had fooled him into thinking that she'd betrayed her. She told her everything that involved him and had happened up to the present day.

As she spoke, Hayuri noticed how Canary's body language changed. She slowly relaxed her shoulder and arms and her expression became genuinely interested on what she said. Sometime she would chuckle softly, probably recognizing some of Killua's typical behavior. When Hayuri had finished, Canary smiled for the first time.

"I believe you. Everything you said completely portraits the Killua I know." She said and nodded. "Also, from what you told me, I think Master Killua fells greatly about you. I don't know if he's in love with you, but he thinks of you as a dear friend, at the very least. I'll help you out."

"Thank you!" Hayuri smiled. "I know you're taking a risk by doing this."

"It's for master Killua." Canary waved her off. "Also, the one taking the biggest risk is you. You don't know the Zoldyck Family like I do. They do not appreciate emotions, friendship, or any of the sorts and are ruthless. You'd be safer if you went back home and forgot about Master Killua."

"I can't do that." Hayuri said with determination.

"I know." Canary smiled. "I needed to warn you anyways. Wait here, I'll get master Killua for you."

"Ok."

Hayuri sat down, leaning her weight on a tree trunk and looked up to the sun that filtered in through the leaves. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in. There was anxiousness building in her chest. What would he say when he saw her? Would he forgive her? Would he want to be friends again? Would he kiss her?

Hayuri moved her hand to her lips and remembered the last time that they had been friends. More than friends. Her body shivered at the thought and she sighed. It had been more than she ever thought sex with him would be like. Not only had it given her incredible pleasure, but the fact that it was him had meant so much to her.

Hayuri closed her eyes as she calmed her heartbeat. She stayed like that, aware of her surroundings, for ten minutes. Suddenly, there was a huge animal presence not far from her. Hayuri widened her eyes and frantically looked the way she'd felt it. There was a huge dog-like creature standing 10 meters away from her. One would've thought that it was a safe enough distance for an animal, but this was not the case. The beast was around 10 meters high and 20 meters long. His eyes were shining scarlet and his aura was reeking of murder. The animal was strong and, if Hayuri hadn't known nen or about wild beasts, she would've ran. Thankfully, she did, so she strengthened her presence and looked up to him with defiance. The beast looked at her in the eyes for a couple seconds, and then turned away.

Hayuri watched it disappear into the forest and, only then, allowed her muscles to relax a bit. That was a hell of a monster, which if she remembered correctly, the guard had called a 'big dog'. Hayuri chuckled at the clear understatement of the beast that she'd just encountered. Hayuri decided that it was the predator that had eaten away all the fauna of the ecosystem, and no wonder. It was huge.

Some minutes later, Hayuri felt a shift in her surrounding and stood up in the blink of an eye. There was someone coming her way at an incredibly fast rate. Hayuri felt sweat roll down her temple and her body tense in anticipation. She didn't remember Killua being this fast. Was this someone else? A member of the family perhaps? Should she hide? Would it even be any good?

In a matter of seconds and, before she had time to make a decision, the presence was close. Hayuri wondered how on earth a human being could travel that fast; according to her, the person had traveled a couple kilometers in just a couple seconds. Hayuri looked to her right and saw that there was someone standing there no far from her. It was a male and it had short silver hair, and she wondered if it was Killua or a relative. When the sun hit his face, she was relieved to see that it actually was Killua and lowered her hood.

"Killua!" she smiled. However, immediately after, she felt dread build up on her gut.

As soon as their eyes met, she saw Killua's eyes darken with rage and felt his blood lust spike. Her body froze under the pressure of his killing intent; she'd never felt anything like it. Not one second after, and before she could force her body to move, she was brutally pushed against a tree. Her breath was knocked out of her and Killua's forearm pressed against her trachea violently. Her eyes met his and she shivered under his cold and enraged eyes. When he spoke, his voice was dripping with venom and menacing.

"Who **the fuck** are you."

 **A/N: Oh damn, another cliffhanger. What happened to Killua T_T doesn't he remember Hayuri? What will happen to her? Find out in the next chapter! TANANANANANA**

 **MadokaMagica1998: Well, I think I know what your guess is and all I can say is…. Wait for the next chapter!**

 **Hexel-JustAnotherReader: I WOULD NEVER KILL HAYURI. I love her too much to give her away for tragedy…. Or would I?**

 **Guest: Well… they did see each other again. Maybe it's not what we all expected.**


	25. Reunion

CHAPTER 25

Killua closed the door to his bedroom and walked to a small coffee table next to a huge window. He sat down heavily and rubbed his temples. It had been a tough morning of training his nen with his father. Since he had completed his mission, his father seemed more proud of him than ever. He trained with him twice a week to further develop his Hatsu, which - in his father's words – was 'excelling'. Killua pushed himself in training more than ever before, willing to get his mind off Hayuri at least for a some hours a day. His father congratulated him on his efforts every time, something he scarcely did before. He should've been proud and glad at that fact. It had always been his aim in life; to live up to his father's expectations. However, there was a dull sadness in his chest that couldn't be shaken.

Killua looked out through the window at the forest that lay in front of him. It was a nice autumn day, and the leaves of many trees were beautifully tainted with red and orange. He couldn't help but think what Hayuri would've said at the sight. Probably she would've told him to enjoy the view and that he took all of these things for granted. She would've gotten some sweets for them to share and talked about whatever was on her mind. Killua missed her company so badly. He wanted to see her face and feel her presence. Every time that he wasn't busy with training or studying, he would think back to her. It brought him some peace, but at the same time it broke his heart. He remembered how they had kissed and made love the night before. Every day, he cursed himself for being so easily carried away by his anger and confusion. He remembered the last things he had said to her back at the hideout and how her eyes had shone with hurt. It was killing him on the inside.

However, Killua didn't say anything when he came home. He put up his most strong façade and had acted proud of his accomplishment. In a sense he was; he had given that nation an opportunity to build a better future. But he couldn't help feel ashamed of his actions those last days with her. His father asked him how his mission had been; Killua told him about the hunter exam and his nen training; about his life as a body guard trainee and how he had completed his mission. He mentioned that he had met a good ally, who had saved his life once and helped him find a nen teacher. However, Killua wasn't stupid and knew that he could not confide the true extension of their relationship to him. His father had more than once reminded him of the importance of not making bonds with people outside the family, since it could always get in the way of a job. Making allies was all right; getting attached to them was not.

Killua had seen Illumi a couple times since he had gotten home, and kept trying his best to avoid him. Every time he was in his presence, Killua would feel the bubbling anger building on his chest. He had implanted a needle on his brain to control his actions. That alone was enough to make him despise him. But the fact that it was that needle which had prevented him from saving Hayuri in time, made it much worse. Killua wanted to kill him. He knew that, on one part, he himself was responsible for what had happened, but he also knew that his brother held responsibility. Nonetheless, he knew that he could not just attack his brother. On one hand, it would be dangerous – which didn't really stop him now that he had removed the damned item from his skull. On the other hand, he knew that such an off behavior would raise suspicion in his parents and they would look closer into him. He didn't want them to put another needle in his head to control him. He also didn't want to be considered less able to take over the business. He had decided that he would live the life that his family had set out for him, since for now he didn't really have the energy of the need to find something else for his life. He didn't like assassination, but he would cope with it.

Killua was brought out of his musings by a presence that closed up to his window from the outside. He raised an eyebrow and walked closer to get a better look, since it was unusual. A couple seconds later, he saw Canary rushing out of the forest and stopping right in front of his window. He wondered what she was doing there, since it was expected of her to be at her guarding post at this time of the day. Killua locked eyes with her and she softly smiled at him. She then brought a finger to her lips, signaling that he was to be silent, and motioned for him to open the window.

Killua felt a little puzzled at that, but he knew she was loyal to him and did as she had requested. He got up from his chair and opened the tall window. She immediately stepped inside of his room soundlessly and looked around, making sure that no one was around.

"Master Killua." She spoke in a quiet voice and bowed slightly.

"Hey, Canary." He nodded. "What it going on?"

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I have come to deliver a message." Canary said. "There is a woman in the forest that has requested to speak to you."

"A woman? Why would I want to speak with anyone? If they have a job for us they can simply send a request through the regular means." He frowned a bit.

"It's not that, Master Killua. The woman says that she knows you and wished to speak with you without raising suspicion from your family."

"She says I know her, huh?" Killua brought his hand to his chin in thought. "What is her name?"

"She-" Canary's eyes widened a fraction and then bowed with slight embarrassment. "I forgot to ask for her name."

"You forgot?" Killua stifled a laugh at that.

"Well… I was at first reluctant to come for you, so she told me about herself… and I kind of got carried away. Please forgive me." She spoke without looking up.

"Don't worry about it. Will she come here?"

"I had instructed her to wait, but I can ask her to come if you wish." She said looking up again.

"I'll just go to her. Where is she?"

"She said she would wait in the forest to the east of my usual guarding post."

"All right. Thank you, Canary. You can return to your duties now, the head butler will give you and earful if you don't."

"Master Killua." Canary bowed and disappeared from sight in a matter of seconds.

Killua watched her retreat and, slowly, a frown built in his face. Who was here to see him? Such a thing had never happened before to anyone in his family. Killua brushed the thought away and decided to get done with it as soon as possible. He didn't want any unwanted attention from his family. He would quickly see who it was and send her away before anyone took notice.

Killua jumped out of his window and used his God speed to sprint through the forest. Five minutes later, he was nearing Canary's post and he slowed down. He immediately felt a presence further ahead and quickly jumped from tree to tree in a blur. He spotted a figure leaning on a tree and looking around for him.

It was a feminine figure that was wearing a dark green cloak that went to her knees. She wore black leggings and leather combat boots. She had a hood on and he couldn't make out her face. He jumped down to the ground and she turned her head his way. Killua walked closer skeptically, since she seemed pretty wary of him. When his face was light by the sun, her shoulder relaxed and pulled her hood down.

"Killua!"

Killua stood dead in his tracks. Brown skin, black hair, green radiant eyes. _Hayuri!_ Killua thought for a split second, but then immediately remembered that she had **died**. Whoever was here in front of him, was trying to fool him into thinking it was her. Using her image and his feelings for her. Killua felt rage course through his body and his hands shake with anger. _HOW DARE YOU._

In a second, he had the woman pinned to a tree and he was practically crushing her neck with his forearm.

"Who **the fuck** are you." He hissed.

The woman opened and closed her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Killua reduced the force of his arm to her neck, so that she could speak.

"D-Don't you remember me?" she croaked. Killua felt a pang of regret at doing this, but stood his ground.

"Of course I know who you're **pretending** to be. But that person is dead." He hissed.

"By a nen bullet, right?" she winced as she struggled to speak. Killua narrowed his eyes a bit and stopped crushing her throat against the tree, but still pushing her slightly to keep her in place.

"How do you know that? Who are you?" Killua growled.

"It's me!" she croaked through strained voice. "Ask anything!"

"When did I first meet you?" he asked and she cleared her throat.

"At the hunter exam. Our hands were linked during the first phase… and the second."

"Do you remember what was the first thing I said to you?"

"Err.. I don't know if it was the first thing… but I clearly remember you underestimating me because of my gender."

"Have I ever saved your life?"

"Yes, when we were applying as body guards. I blocked a blade that was meant for you and received a gash on my upper chest. You cauterized my wound."

"What did you say to me before that happened?"

"Err… I don't know what you mean exactly. That we were friends and that I'd risk my life to save yours anytime?" she answered and Killua's eyes widened.

 _Everything was spot on… could it be?_

"Were we ever been by the sea?" he said as he removed his arm from her neck.

"Yes, on your birthday. You spent half of my savings on sweets that day." She smiled at him softly.

Killua's eyes softened unsurely as he trailed his hand up her arm and caressed her neck. "When was the last time I did this?"

"The… night that we spent together." Hayuri said as she blushed slightly. Killua's hand went up to her caress her face as his eyes locked with hers. He softly touched her features with an expression of utter disbelief.

"I… is this for real?" he said, his eyes still watching her. "I… I saw you die."

"I did… but developed another ability with my hatsu." Hayuri answered. "You know how I could use my nen to hurt or incapacitate my opponents? Or to boost my own strength? When I knew that death was certain, my mind came to one realization. If my hatsu could do all that, why not heal? So I made a vow to not use my nen for whatever time necessary in exchange to my wounds to be healed. It took over three months for it to come back… and as soon as it did I came to find you." She said and, before Killua could say anything else she added. "You… you came back that day."

Killua nodded and then felt tears well up in his eyes. He looked down ashamed and covered his face with the hand that was still hanging beside him.

"I… Hayuri. I'm so sorry." He said with a broken voice and intently looked at the ground. "I've regretted what I said to you back then all this time. I felt hurt and was angry, so I only said that to hurt as well. I didn't mean it at all."

"I know." Hayuri said and her hand went up to his hair, softly combing it with her fingers.

"I realized what you had done when I stopped on my way back… I was so shocked. I wanted to save you so bad… but I wasn't fast enough. I… I watched you die. The blood pool under your head and your eyes become dull. I thought I would never see you again."

"I thought that too." Hayuri said and Killua buried his head on the crook of her neck. He inhaled deeply and she felt shivers go up her spine.

Hayuri leaned her own head on Killua's shoulder and she took in his scent as well. She felt so at peace that, for a moment, she forgot that she was on Zoldyck property. They stayed like that, hugging each other for a long time, until Hayuri moved back.

"Killua."

"What is it?" he nodded and moved back to look back into her eyes.

"I… what I said that night on my room… everything was true." She said and she blushed once again.

"I know."

"What do you think of me?"

"I…" Killua gulped down. He knew what he felt and that he had said it to her when she had been half dead on the ground. However, that didn't make it any easier. He struggled for a couple more seconds and decided that it was now or never. "You… you are my best friend and the closest thing I've ever had to a real family. And… I love you too. I should've said it earlier."

He finished with a glint of resolve in his eyes, which assured her that he was saying the truth. Hayuri exhaled deeply and her body relaxed; Killua hadn't even noticed how tense she had been. He looked at her again and noticed that she was struggling with something. Her hands were fidgeting with her cloak and she was averting her eyes.

"What's up?"

"Killua… there's something that you need to know." Hayuri begun, but soon couldn't find the words. She stopped and looked at the ground. "How should I say this… jeez I'm so stupid I didn't even think of a way to tell you."

"You don't have to pressure yourself into saying something you don't want to."

"No. I want to. I need to." Hayuri said and rubbed her temples in frustration.

"Ok.. eh…" Killua seemed confused at first. "How about you tell me about in a way that doesn't seem too rushed for you?"

"All right." Hayuri closed her eyes for a second before locking them with Killua's once again. "When I woke up after my brain healed I felt terrible. You can imagine that… I felt tired, pained, dizzy, thirsty. Somehow I managed to get to a small city, where an older woman rented me a room – she's so nice, you should meet her sometime. Well, the thing is that even after whole weeks of rest, I didn't feel right at all. I didn't exactly feel **sick** , but there were times when I felt dizzy and weak. I thought that there had been a problem with my hatsu and my recovery." She stopped speaking and Killua decided to ask a question to help her move on.

"Are you? I mean, sick? Or injured? Or…"

"No. No I was not. At first I thought something along those lines as well. I was pretty worried, so I sat with my landlady and told her about how I was feeling. She practically laughed at my obliviousness and knew immediately what was going on with me."

"Is it grave?" Killua's eyes shone with worry.

"No. I mean, yes. But not in the way you think it is…" Hayuri said and pushed her hair back in annoyance. "This is hard to say." She sighed and both stayed silent for some time.

"Maybe you should give me a clue and I'll try to figure out what it is."

"Ok. Remember that night we spent together?" she spoke barely over a whisper and Killua nodded. "I don't know if you realized it in the heat of the moment… but…"

"But…" he encouraged her to go on.

"We didn't wear any protection." She said and her eyes looked at Killua's face for any sign of recognition. He stayed quiet for what seemed like ages, his eyes slowly widening in disbelief.

"You… you don't mean that…" he trailed off.

"I do."

"That, that you're…"

Killua didn't finish his sentence and Hayuri wasn't able to complete it for him. She simply took in his expression; he had an expression of complete disbelief and shock. Hayuri softly took his hands in her own and moved them so that he held her belly. Killua immediately noticed the bump, which had definitely not been there before. He didn't have any words to say to her, since he was completely and utterly stunned at the news. He stayed there touching her swollen belly, his mind frozen at the realization. After a couple minutes, Hayuri finally spoke up.

"Killua, say something…" she said and Killua was surprised by her voice. Her tone held a vulnerability and fear that he hadn't really heard on her before. He shook his head to clear his mind and looked at her.

"I'll be frank with you." He said and she would've flinched if his tone hadn't been as soft as it was. "I don't really know if I'm prepared to be a father and I had never really thought myself a parent. I'm also a bit afraid a the fact and don't even know how to do this… but I love you and I want to stay by your side. I think that we can do this together and… build a family." He said averting his eyes and blushed a deep crimson. Killua didn't think that saying such a thing would make him feel as exposed as he did. Suddenly, he felt Hayuri tremble and looked back at her to see that she was crying. He was about to open his mouth and ask, but she beat him to it.

"I'm so happy." She said and hugged him tightly, her belly pressing against his lower abdomen. "I had feared that you would push me aside, thinking that I had betrayed you. That you wouldn't want to have anything to do with this. I'm also a bit nervous about this, but knowing that you'll be with me is a great relief."

Killua wrapped his arms around her and held her closer until her tears stopped. He moved back, his eyes intently observing her belly.

"Can I see?" he asked and she nodded.

Killua kneeled in front of her and lifted her cloak until it was up to under her breasts. There was a clear bump in there and he couldn't help but think that she looked appealing like that.

"Four months and a half, right?" he asked and traced the tips of his fingers all over her skin.

"Yeah."

Killua seemed to realize something and stood up, concern written all over his face.

"Oh, damn. I just pushed you into that tree really hard before, didn't I?"

"Yes, but I'm all right."

"You didn't hurt yourself while getting here?"

"No, Killua, I'm fine." She answered and smiled softly at him.

Killua was about to open his mouth to say something else, but the hairs in the back of his neck stood up. He turned around just in time to see a figure landing behind him. Killua took a step back and stood in front of Hayuri. He cursed himself for forgetting that his God Speed had probably alerted everybody in the property that there was something going on. He had been too shocked to even remember that, but now realized his mistake. In front of him stood none other than Zeno Zoldyck.

"Who is this, Killua?"

 **A/N: WOW. Did you expect that? Hayuri pregnant? It was kind of likely due to her symptoms. Killua is such a sweetheart (with alluka he was at least, right? Hayuri can't be too different…), I would never imagine him the kind to leave her alone.**

 **Hexel-JustAnotherReader: Yesss again, drama drama everywhere.**

 **Guest: Thanks!**

 **Elisablackcat: I wouldn't have killed her like that. Although my boyfriend thinks it would've been a great ending xD.**

 **MadokaMagica1998: Yeah, but at least he didn't slash at her or something LOL that would've been completely tragic.**

 **Elisablackcat: It was a happy reunion in the end… although I had to include the Zoldyck family in this one.**

 **Seijuro-kun: Exactly! Thankfully everything's been cleared between them.**


	26. Zoldyck Family

CHAPTER 26

"Who is this, Killua?"

Killua stretched a hand back and held Hayuri's hand tightly in his own, just to make sure that she was still there. Hayuri, on her side, felt anxiousness build in her chest, the face of the man inspecting her giving her the creeps. He was clearly not glad to have a visitor home and he was incredibly strong. They would have no chance if they decided to go up against him. Hayuri looked at Killua and saw that his stance was cautious but open, meaning that he was not willing for it to get to that. The man looked at Killua once more with a frown and then pointed at her with his index finger.

"I said, who is this?"

"Hayuri. Her name is Hayuri." Killua spoke and relaxed; he seemed to think that the man didn't mean to attack her.

"Ok. And why do you know her? Why is she here?" the man raised an eyebrow.

"It's a long story, grandpa." Killua said, not wanting to extend their interactions.

"Is it? Then maybe you can tell me all about it inside." He said and turned his back to them. "Come on."

Killua tightened his jaw and looked back at Hayuri. He motioned for her to follow as well and held her hand tightly. They took off running to the main house, Zeno in the front and Killua and Hayuri following not far behind. As he ran, Killua's mind was filled with possible scenarios. Killua wasn't usually overprotective of Hayuri, since she had always been capable of standing up on her own. Of course she was still strong, but there was too many risks involved if she had to fight now. Of course, a confrontatio would be completely foolish; Killua wouldn't be able to win against his father and grandfather on his own, much less if he had to watch out for her. He glanced her way and wondered if he could take the both of them fast and far enough to have his family lose their track, if it came to some sort of confrontation.

The journey back to the main mansion was filled with a tense silence and Hayuri was slightly worried. She didn't know much about the Zoldyck Family, but she was certain that they were no ordinary people and that she should take nothing for granted in there. On top of that, Killua seemed almost scared for her, as he kept throwing her glances – which she didn't meet – and tightening his hold on her hand as they ran.

Fifteen minutes later, Hayuri saw a huge castle-like building come into view. It looked **huge** , but it didn't resemble a house at all. It looked more like a dungeon or a fortification, with no windows in sight and thick stone walls. The approached an entrance, which resembled the gate that she had gone previously through that morning to enter the mountain. Silva pushed the doors open, and seven out of seven gates opened and closed behind him. Killua threw her a glance over his shoulder, silently asking if she was all right pushing the heavy gate. Hayuri nodded, so Killua turned back and pushed the gate as well, opening six of them. Hayuri gulped down and decided that she needed to prove her power, and pushed with all of her strength – unlike last time – and opened five gates.

As they closed behind her, she found herself walking down a long and wide hallway. The walls and the floor were made of stone and it was light by old candles on the walls. Hayuri looked in front of her, noticing that both Killua and the old man were walking up some stairs. When they got to the upper floor, the appearance of the place changed notoriously. The place now had huge windows that went up to the tall ceiling and the floor had a complex looking carpet. The walls were filled with paintings and portraits and there was actually beautiful furniture everywhere. Anyhow, the place still looked gloomy and seemed like a somber mansion from a horror movie. They turned on a few corridors, which Hayuri made sure to remember, and finally stopped in front of two huge wooden doors. Hayuri didn't have time to admire the beautiful cravings on it, since the old man immediately pushed them open.

They entered a huge room that had comfortable – and expensive – looking couches and chairs and a huge chandelier hanging from the ceiling. On the furthest wall there were huge windows that opened up to a small private garden. In the middle of the room sat a woman and a man, who were intently looking at the newcomers. The man was really muscular and had silver hair and blue eyes. Hayuri immediately assumed that he was Killua's father. Next to him was a woman with a traditional looking kimono and a beautiful hairdo. Her eyes were covered by some sort of visor, which seemed completely strange to Hayuri and she wondered if she was blind or something.

"Zeno. What is going on?" the man asked with a deep voice.

"I found Killua with this woman in the woods. I asked who she was and he said that it was a long story, so I figured that you two might as well hear it out. I don't want to have to repeat it myself." Zeno explained as he took a seat in a chair next to Killua's father.

All three of them looked at Hayuri and Killua, who still stood in front of the door. Killua sighed and stretched his hand to take a hold of Hayuri's. He led her to a couch and both sat down. Hayuri looked at both of Killua's parents – she assumed that they were, since she knew that he wouldn't be this respectful to anyone else – and decided that they were at least twice as strong as she was.

"So, Killua. Will you introduce us?" the woman spoke up after a while of silence.

"All right. This is Hayuri. Hayuri, this is my mother Kikyo, my father Silva and my grandfather Zeno."

"Hello." Hayuri was surprised that her voice came out even as she slightly nodded.

"A name doesn't day much, Killua." Silva pressed. "I'd like to hear more than one sentence so I can understand this unusual visit in depth."

"I know." Killua nodded. "I met Hayuri back at the hunter's exam that I had to take to do my job. We were stuck with tied wrists during the first phase and there was a technical problem with them, so we had to do the second phase together. The second one lasted five full days, which were spent in a forest, and we had to get to a certain part of it. At first we didn't get along well at all, but after a while we kind of did. The last day, a strong nen user – as strong as Illumi – confronted apparently us to test out strength. We fought together, but were going to lose, however he left in the end. She'd sustained an injury to her left hand and my thigh had been hit bit a powerful strike. She carried me all the way to the pinpointed place so that I didn't strain it any further. She told me that it was obvious, since we had been working together as allies." Killua chuckled as he remembered. "After that, we helped each other a couple more times during the exam. At the end, we exchanged numbers, because she insisted on it. I went on with my mission, but was rejected since it didn't know nen yet. I gave her a call and asked if she knew what was missing, she told me that she knew and said that she had a teacher. Long story short, we trained together for a good three months and developed the nen basic and advanced techniques together."

Killua stopped for a while and looked at his parents and grandfather. They all had serious expressions on, expecting him to go on. Hayuri seemed not to want to talk at all, so he thought for a moment how he was going to explain the next part of the story and took a breath in to continue.

"She was broke and wanted to keep on training, so I suggested that she tagged along with me. We took the entry exam to be body guard trainees, but it was a solo mission. We both managed to do our part on our own, but I noticed that she'd been surrounded by four other applicants. I gave her a hand and we defeated them in the blink of an eye. A stupid move from me had a hidden opponent lashing out at me from behind; she saved my life by stepping in between and blocking the hit. She got badly hurt, but said that it was fine, since we were friends. I had never thought that we were, but just came to that realization at that moment. I cauterized her wound and we made it to the rendezvous point." Killua stopped for a couple seconds. "We trained as body guard trainees mostly on our own, but we would meet to eat, work or talk. We got to know each other really well. She saved my life once more when we were up against strong nen users, but I didn't even feel the need to thank her, since it was obvious that any of us would do it without a second thought."

Killua was going to talk more on that moment, but he decided to not give more about it away. He chose to talk about the rebels and how it affected their job.

"Our job had gotten more important by then; there was a rebel uprising in the country. They wanted to bring down the monarchy and establish a democracy, in hopes to make better to terrible conditions of life that the common people had. We had to spy on them and find out what they were up to, who they were working for, and so on. Hayuri didn't want to have anything to do with it." Killua smiled softly. "She had a strong sense of justice, so it was killing her to do such a thing, but couldn't back down – I didn't know why at the moment. I wonder if she would've even talked to me if she'd known who I really was from the beginning." Killua's face turned serious again as he spoke up once more. "One day, the situation got to the point where we were asked to kill on sight any person who was out on the streets – of course she didn't do any of it. Thankfully, no one besides me found out about it, because she would've been in serious trouble. However, the commander of the royal guard deemed that we had to graduate earlier than planned. On our graduation day, my full name was said aloud. Of course I had used a last name that could have been easily recognized as Zoldyck in case any of you tried to find me."

Silence filled the room once more and Killua noticed that his family was now intently listening to him. He closed his eyes for a second, deciding what to say and what to leave out.

"That day, I noticed that something was bothering Hayuri, so I pressed to know what it was about. She led me away from the hall the ceremony was being held in and ticked me. She paralyzed me with her hatsu and tied my hands with nen suppressing hand cuffs. Three strong nen users surrounded us – they worked with her – and they all took me away. I hadn't known that someone else was out for me; a contract hunter association – hired by someone who held a grudge against our family. They brought me to a hideout, since I was to be delivered alive." Killua stopped once more. "I was held in a room that was completely secure and I had no way of escaping. Somehow, the electricity went out and every door to the hideout was opened, so I immediately got away. I had been so angry at Hayuri, that I didn't realize that she had actually been helping me out all along. As soon as I did, I went back as fast as I could – that's when I developed the ability you're so proud of. However, when I came I saw her get executed for treason and was too slow to do anything." Killua tightened his hands and jaw at the memory. "I managed to get a closer look and saw that her skull had been crushed and that her eyes were dull. I knew she was going to die, so when other hunters spotted my, I left."

"How come you're here now?" Zeno asked Hayuri after a couple seconds of silence.

"On the last minute I developed a Hatsu that would allow me to heal any injuries I sustained in exchange for not using nen for a certain amount of time." Hayuri said. "When I woke up Killua was already gone and I managed to find a safe place to hide until I recovered. I came here after that."

Hayuri's voice came out clear and steady, since she was calm. She knew that she should've been scared in the presence of these people, but for some reason she wasn't. She looked at Killua who seemed less tense than earlier, and she wondered if they were safe now.

"That seems pretty loyal of you, Hayuri-san." Kikyo said calmly and Silva nodded, agreeing with her.

"However." Zeno spoke up with a grave voice. "That doesn't explain her condition."

Killua and Hayuri tensed at the remark and Killua's hand went to hold hers tightly.

"What condition?" Silva asked and raised an eyebrow at Zeno.

"I'm an old man and have seen lots of things throughout my life." He pointed out. "I can see that your steps are heavier than they should be, given you contexture, and that your movements are not as swift I would've expected. So, can any of you explain what is hidden under that cloak?"

A thick silence filled the room, in which Killua's parents looked at both of them with questioning glances. Hayuri felt her heart race and wondered how on earth the man could've noticed, since she had made sure to move in the most natural way. She looked at Killua, who was looking forward and, without even flinching, he spoke up.

"She's expecting my child." He said with a clear voice and everyone nearly jumped in surprise. No one spoke for what seemed like half a minute until Killua's father leaned forwards.

"You're too young." he said gravely. "Only nineteen. You still have much to learn before you father an heir."

"I know." Killua nodded once in agreement. It had not been planned at all, but his father didn't need to hear that.

"How old are you, dear?" Kikyo questioned.

"Nineteen as well." Hayuri said immediately.

"How far along are you?" she added.

"Four and a half months."

"I would never suggest that you get rid of my grandson or that you never see him again." Silva said, crossing his hands in front of his chest, and sighed. "We'll raise here and I'll help you train him. We cannot delay his training, seeing that in order to raise him to his full potential he needs to start at the age of three."

"We'll have to plan a wedding! I have lots of ideas!" Kikyo beamed and placed her hands on her cheeks in delight. "We'll prepare a bedroom for the two of you to sleep in! I can call a decorator afterwards so he can help you out."

Hayuri knew that this reaction was better than what she had been expecting, but felt angst build in her chest. She did not want her kid to live this life; tortured and trained to kill since barley a child. Forced into a life of isolation and violence. She didn't want such a life for herself either. She felt her hand shake against Killua's firm hold and tried hard to slow her racing heart. She would not accept this. Maybe they'd try and kill her or something, but she had to at least try. She opened her mouth to speak.

"No." Hayuri was startled as Killua's voice rang loudly in the room, saying the exact words that she'd been about to speak.

"What do you mean?" Silva questioned with a quiet tone.

"I won't raise him here." Killua said in an almost daring tone. "I have never liked this way of life, but hadn't known anything else before, so I couldn't really choose anything different. Now I do."

"Killua." Zeno said patiently. "You are the heir to our business, you always have been. Your whole life has revolved around this until now. Are you willing to throw that away?"

"Yes." He said without hesitation.

"How come I never knew of your aversion to our occupation?" Kikyo said slowly.

"Illumi had planted a needle in my head to prevent me from going against anyone or anything that might put me in a dangerous situation." Killua said. "I removed it a couple months ago."

"Ah… that explains a lot." Silva scratched his chin in thought. "I remember that you had a rebellious phase when you were twelve or thirteen. One day it simply disappeared and I assumed that you were over your doubts concerning your future as the heir. I never considered that it could've been Illumi all along." Silva sighed. "If I'd known that you didn't like the business, I would've chosen someone else as the heir."

Killua sat still as he locked eyes with his father for a moment. Everyone was on edge wondering how it would turn out, but their apprehension disappeared when Silva slightly smiled.

"I like the determination I see in your eyes now. I can't even remember the last time I saw that on you." Silva smirked and closed his eyes for a couple seconds. "I can see that I won't change your mind in this subject. You can go and build a life somewhere else, as long as you promise to come and visit. I'd like to see how my grandson is growing up."

"I will." Killua nodded as he felt both himself and Hayuri relax at his father's words.

"I have a suggestion to make." Zeno said suddenly. "You should leave this estate as soon as you can. Illumi is out on a job, but he'll be home anytime today. I don't think he'll agree with any of this and you know we cannot interfere with what family members do."

"Then, we better head out soon." Killua said and was about to stand up, when Kikyo interrupted them.

"Kill, I'd like to have a word with Hayuri while you pack up your things." Killua looked at her with slight suspicion, but she waved him off. "Don't worry, I will not hurt her."

"Okay. I'll be back in fifteen minutes." Killua said standing up and throwing a glance at Hayuri, who slightly smiled in return. He stood up and walked out of the room.

"Follow me, dear." Kikyo said standing up and lead Hayuri to a room right next to the one they'd been sitting in. When they entered, she settled on another couch and Hayuri sat down right in front of her. "Hayuri, I know that Killua's decision was partly because of you. I can see that you don't agree with our way of life, I saw it in your eyes when we mentioned raising the child in here." Hayuri was about to say something, but she was stopped when Kikyo raised her hand. "I'm actually glad."

"You are?" Hayuri raised her eyebrows in slight surprise.

"Yes. You know, I didn't really have much of a choice when I married Silva." She sighed. "I came to love him with time, but I never wanted my children to live like this. Being forced to do what we did for a living, to live through the training they had to endure. At first I didn't want accept any of this, I cried often seeing what was being done to them." She said and her voice almost broke. Hayuri's eyes widened at that; she had never imagined Killua's mother to feel like that. She had seemed so cold and in tune with the assassination business in her eyes. "I tried to talk Silva out of it a couple times; we could still train them to be strong without hurting them as much, but he always said that the most important thing was to make good assassins out of them. He didn't support me at all, and in the end there was nothing I could do; women don't have much of a say in this family. And maybe I was too afraid to stand up for what I wanted for them. In the end, I forced myself to agree with all of this, but I kind of lost my mind for a while a couple years ago. I was pretty crazed, and pushed my children as much as my husband, burying what my instinct had been telling me all along. Deep inside, I always wished to have a close relationship with them, but I don't think that will ever be possible now. None of my sons really know about this."

"I'm sorry." Hayuri's eyes softened at her words.

"I'm proud that you were planning on standing up for what you think is right. I'm also proud that my Kill decided to choose a different future for the three of you." She smiled and held Hayuri's hand softly. "However, you cannot let this choice make any of you weaker or have you lower your guard. My eldest son – Illumi - is ruthless and I don't think he will ever let you get away with this.

"Thank you so much." Hayuri bowed low and beamed. "I will make sure that we come and visit when Illumi is not around."

"Good. Go, dear. Killua must be back already." She waved Hayuri out of the room.

Hayuri walked back with a sort of nostalgia in her chest; it was a sad story, Kikyo's, but she was glad that she'd shared it with her. As she passed by the room where they'd been before she bowed at Silva and Zeno.

"Thank you so much for your hospitality."

"You're welcome. Take good care of my son and grandson." Silva said and slightly smiled.

Hayuri nodded and walked out of the door. Killua stood in the hallway with a travel backpack and with his hands crossed in front of him. He was also wearing a cloak – a black one - probably in reason that they had to stay low and avoid running into Illumi.

"What was that all about?" he turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow when the door closed behind her.

"Maybe you should ask your mother someday." She smiled.

"Ugh." Killua furrowed his brow. "Seems like a drag."

"You should talk to her, I won't be the one telling you about it." Hayuri said with finality and Killua wondered what the hell they'd talked about in there.

"Ok. Come on, I don't want to run into Illumi. Also, we need to hurry in order to take the tourist bus out of here, since using a car from our house will be too easy to track down." Killua said as they walked out of the mansion. When they got out, he turned and handed his backpack to Hayuri. She was about to ask about it, but Killua answered her question before she could. "But that on and get on my back. It'll be faster this way and you won't have to run."

Hayuri put the backpack on without a word and climbed on his back, putting her arms around his neck. She smiled amusedly, surprised that **he** was being such a gentleman after all-

"Damn you're heavy. You should stop eating so much." Killua remarked and Hayuri clearly heard the smug smirk in his voice.

"I should've known you'd say something like that." she rolled her eyes, but the smile didn't leave her face.

"Hold on tightly." Killua said and she almost yelped when took off at an inhuman speed. Not five minutes later they stood in front of the testing gate. She got off and tried to put her messy her back in place, but kind of failed and decided to just but her hood back on.

"I can see why you called it God Speed." She sighed.

"Let's go." He said and put on his own hood. He walked to the Testing Gate and pushed, opening six doors, just like before, and walked past it. Hayuri followed not long after, pushing the gate open and joining him outside.

"Miss Hayuri." Zebro, who was standing next to Killua, raised his eyebrows. "You made it."

"Of course I did." She smiled.

"That's good." He turned back to Killua. "You're leaving, Master Killua?"

"Yes. I might not come back for a while, Zebro." The silver haired looked at him in the eye. "If my brother or anyone else asks about me, say you know nothing. Not about me, not about Hayuri. If you do, we'll be in danger, understood?"

"Yes, sir." Zebro bowed at Killua and nodded. Not long after that, the tourist bus approached the testing gate. As soon as it stopped, everyone got off and started taking pictures of the gate and wall. Killua and Hayuri had already gotten out of the way and approached the pink haired tourist guide.

"Excuse me." Killua said and she was started at the voice, seeing that she probably hadn't even noticed him there. "We need a one way ride down of the mountain."

"Eh… ok, no problem. We still have a couple empty seats, so just pay half the fee to the bus driver." She said with a raised eyebrow and watched as Killua stepped into the bus and paid the driver. He got back down and the guide noticed that he was wearing a black hood that didn't allow her to closely watch his features. She threw him with a quizzical glance and then turned back to the tourists, signaling that they had to get on the bus already. Killua and Hayuri got on and sat down together on the front row, since they'd gotten in first. The guide got on at last and, as she stood in the front, her eyes stopped on Hayuri and widened.

"Ehhhhh, you're the woman who entered the Zoldyck Estate this morning!" she said and everyone in the bus stayed quiet and looked at Hayuri. "Did you visit them? How are they? Didn't they hurt you? Is this young man next to you a part of that family?"

"Eh…" Hayuri said and sweatdropped. Killua looked at her with exasperation, silently scolding her for entering his house with such carelessness. Behind them, there were a lot of whispers about the both of them. Killua sighed.

"Please, can we just go on down the mountain? We're in a hurry." he said and his eyebrow twitched as he felt some people standing up and taking a picture of them. Thankfully their heads were hooded and they were in the front, so pictures would be pretty useless. Suddenly Killua stood up and turned around with his face shadowed by the hood. Everyone in the bus stayed frozen, since they could see his deadly sapphire eyes and feel his bloodlust leaking.

"Pretend that we're not here, never say anything about it and let's get going quickly. You don't want to get caught up in our business." He said with voice dripping venom.

He went back to normal and sat down next to Hayuri, noticing that the bus was deadly silent as it took off. Hayuri nudged Killua on the side and he face her frowning face.

"I don't think that was necessary."

"It was, they would've made too much of a fuss and told everyone about it." Killua said. "Besides, this is all your fault. How could you be so careless? Jeez."

"Well sorry, I guess I'm not used to a life of fame. I've always just been a common person with no need to hide from others."

"Well, that's already changed." Killua said and locked eyes with her. "You'll have to get used to it for you own good. For the three of us."

Hayuri said nothing, but knew that he was right and nodded. Things were definitely going to be different from now on.

 **A/N: There it is. What do you think? What should happen with Illumi? Things are bound to get complicated. Also, do you think Kikyo was too OOC? I've always thought that she must've lost her mind because of something, and this seemed like a good reason. Please leave a review, I love your support!**

 **Hexel-JustAnotherReader: YESS I'm so excited to write more on that subject.**

 **MadokaMagica1998: I did think that it was kind of predictable, but it's exciting nonetheless, right? *_***

 **Elisablackcat: Thank you! I'm glad you like it! – and yes my boyfriend is evil, he now suggests that one of the three gets killed by Illumi. LOL he really seems to love tragedy (thankfully only in fiction; in real life he's doesn't like trouble at all xD)**

 **Lyll & Guest: Here you go!**


	27. Together

CHAPTER 27

A couple soft knocks on the door pulled the older woman out of her thoughts. She stood up with slight surprise and walked to her front door. When she opened up, she had to beam in joy at the green eyed girl who stood at her door step.

"Laila!" Hayuri smiled.

"I'm glad to see you're all right, Hayuri." She stepped aside. "Come on in!"

Laila watched the young woman enter her house followed by a tall young man, who she thoroughly observed. He was pretty pale and had stunning sapphire eyes, his jaw was angular and his hair seemed almost white; he was really handsome.

"Ok, so this must be the young lad that you wanted to find." She remarked.

"Yeah! His name is Killua."

"Hmm." Laila narrowed her eyes for a moment, with Killua slightly raising an eyebrow, and then clapped her hands once. "You seem alright to me. I always have pretty accurate first impressions. So, tell me, are you here just for some tea or do you wish to stay?"

"Oh, well, actually we were wondering if there was any chance that we could rent a room for the both of us." Hayuri said sheepishly. "I know the room's only got a single bed, but it's until we can figure out a safe place to stay at."

"Oh, dear, for you I can make a different arrangement. The both of you can sleep in my room, which has a double bed and an en-suite bathroom, and I'll settle in the smaller room. I have been thinking about doing just that for a while anyways and also, you will need enough space and a toilet at hand if you wish to get a proper rest at nighy."

"Really?" Hayuri's eyes shone at that.

"Obviously. I hold you dearly and I want to help you out. Also, having a baby is no joke; it's pretty complicated and tiring, especially the first months. So, since I know you don't have a family to help you out with any of that, you can keep renting this room until the both of you have figured out how to raise a child on your own. I can give you a hand every now and then and also some piece of advice. Oh, of course you can talk about it with the father – that's you right?"

"Yeah." Killua nodded and was about to speak again when Hayuri openly yawned.

"Ooops." She said sheepishly and covered her mouth. "I'm sorry, somehow I'm really sleepy even though its only 10 pm."

"Well, you only left a day and a half ago, so I figure you just met with Killua this morning." Again a nod. "You probably didn't sleep well last night, so you could go get some sleep now, if you want to. I changed the bed clothes today, so you can go right away."

"Thank you and sorry." Hayuri bowed for a second. "I didn't want to ask for a bed as soon as I got here."

"Just go." Laila waved her off and she left the dining room with another yawn. Killua was about to stand up as well, but was stopped as soon as Hayuri was out of the room. "Hold it right there."

Killua inwardly growled, but slowly sat down again and, even though he knew this woman could never lay a finger on him, he had to gulp at the sharpness of her glance. The woman served tea for two and sat down opposite of him, putting the tea mug in between his hands.

"I want to hear about you." She said and lifted a finger. "I have come to care about Hayuri almost as if she was one of my own and yet I only know your name."

Killua sighed and he talked practically on a monologue for a long time. He told her about himself, his family and Illumi. He told her how he and Hayuri had met and gotten involved. Killua wasn't completely comfortable telling this things to someone he had just met, but she didn't seem like the one to take no for an answer. Also, for some reason, he trusted this woman; she seemed brutally honest but kind at the same time. When he was done telling her all about himself, she sipped her tea and looked at him with a warm smile.

"You really love her, don't you?"

"Yeah." Killua blushed slightly at this and had to look down at his tea.

"Listen. Having a child together will be a challenge for you as a couple; you should know that many marriages go to hell after the first child is born. Do you know why that is?" She asked and Killua shook his head. "From my experience, there are three mains reasons. The first on is that there's little time as a couple when you have children and most of your time will now be family time. The second one is that raising a child is a great responsibility and a lot of work. Sometimes, parents are not capable of balancing the work they both do, resulting in one of them doing most of it. This, in the end, makes one of them resent the other or feel too tired and stressed out. Most of the time, the one that works the most in taking care of the child is the woman. I don't want to see any of these things happen to you."

"Don't worry. I have been responsible for a lot of things since a child, so I don't think it'll be like that for us. Also, we've never really had much time as a couple anyways. So…." Killua trailed off.

"Oh, on that subject; the third thing is sexuality." She said. Killua felt like standing up to leave and avoid talking about such a subject with this old woman, but opted to stay and listen. "Sexuality with a small baby or even a toddler is complicated. You don't have much time to yourselves, so you won't have much energy or time to do anything. Also, the woman's libido – or sex drive - gets unusually low after giving birth. It's not just the first month and a half as they say, since that period has more to do with a physical recovery thing. Actually, nursing hormones and exhaustion bring sex drive down as long as for a year, which It doesn't mean that nothing will happen at all, but it'll be… slow. I've seen woman being practically coerced –forced sometimes - into having intercourse with their husbands when they don't feel like it, sometimes even feeling pain while at it." Laila stopped for a moment and looked at Killua's flustered and awkward expression. "I lived through that with my first husband and regret it greatly. I want you to promise that you won't make her do anything because of commitment and you'll always make sure she's willing to whatever..."

"I know!" Killua interrupted her, looking appalled at the suggestion. "I would never do anything like that!"

"I know, you don't look like that kind of guy, but I just wanted to make sure. You can't blame me; sometimes these kinds of things are seen as normal by some people, you know?" Laila sighed, but then a devilish smirk appeared on her face. "On that note, you should enjoy your alone time with Hayuri as much as you can before the baby is born. My room is practically soundproof, so you shouldn't worry about anything."

"Err…." Killua didn't know what to say. He wasn't sure if he liked this woman's straightforwardness or if he didn't.

"Just go, maybe she's still awake." She waved him off when he looked at her suspiciously. "Go, go."

Killua didn't say anything else and entered the bedroom they would sleep in with some uncertainty building in his gut. It was pretty spacious and had a wide glass door that looked out to the small backyard. On the opposite side of the room, there was another door, which Killua assumed led to the bathroom. Inside the room there was an old dresser and a double sized bed with small night tables on each side. In the middle of the mattress, lay Hayuri with her hair sprawled out around her and breathing in softly. Killua chuckled, all of his uneasiness fading immediately, and walked to stand next to the empty side of the bed. He took off everything but his boxers – he had always slept like that and hopes that Hayuri wouldn't mind - and climbed on the bed. He laid down a little awkwardly at first, because he had never slept next to anyone before. He turned to look at Hayuri's face and had to smile at the peaceful expression she had on. Killua made up his mind in a second and moved closer to her to put his hands around her waist. He then nuzzled her neck softly and earned a loud sigh, to which he smiled in contempt. Killua closed his eyes and relaxed almost instantly; somehow her presence lulled him into sleep in the next minute.

The next day, a soft light entering though the glass on the door was the first thing that Hayuri noticed. She opened an eye to see that there was a ray of light filtering through the canopy of a tree outside, which came directly to her right eye. She moved her face slightly to avoid it and found that, behind her, Killua was sound asleep. She had to look at him for a moment, marveling on how handsome he looked even with a bed hair and his face a little pressed by his own shoulder. His arm was stretched under her and, only now, she realized that he was holding by the waist. Hayuri blushed, but didn't dare move away from him. She closed her eyes for a while longer and took a deep breath in. Hayuri heard a deep voice mumble into her shoulder.

"Wanted to sleep any longer? I didn't know you were such a sleepyhead."

"You were awake?" she raised her eyebrows and he simply nodded. "I wanted to wait for you last night, but I was too tired and fell asleep instantly. Heh."

"Well, I was held against my will for at least an hour, so it's good that you didn't stay up."

"Was it that terrible?"

"Worse than my training back at home." Killua smirked and she lightly laughed.

"Hey, what do you think about her proposal? I would like to stay here; she's such a good person and I think you'll grow to like her too. Besides, I don't think you'll want to call your mother whenever you have questions about the baby."

"No way." Killua scoffed. "I don't think staying here will be too bad. Also, if we ever decide to move somewhere else, we can simply leave."

Hayuri smiled at him and rolled on her back to stare at the ceiling for a while. The previous day, she and Killua had been travelling while trying to remain discreet, so they barely talked or interacted with one another. Hayuri had wanted to say so many things to him after they left his house, but hadn't had the chance until now. She wondered for a moment if it was the right moment, and then spoke.

"Hey Killua. I wanted to thank you for what you did back at your parents place." She started slowly. "I was really afraid that they would force me to raise our baby there and that you would agree."

"Well, I had wanted to stop living myself like that for a long time. Much less would I allow my daughter or son to go through all of that since a toddler."

"I'm proud of you, you know?" she smiled and Killua felt a warm smile on his lips." It must've taken great courage to stand up against them like that for the first time… you had never done that according to what you've told me until now."

"I had never done that, but it wasn't that hard. Illumi had planted his needle in my head just when I was old enough to start thinking by myself, so I hadn't had the chance to stand up for what I wanted. Now that I removed it, I can think clearly again and make choices that don't go along with my parents desires." Killua closed his eyes with contempt. "For a long time I felt like my life was not mine to control, but it is at last; it feels completely liberating."

"I'm glad." Hayuri moved to roll on her side, to face Killua, and threw an arm over his chest. Only then she took notice that he was bare chested and her eyes widened. "A-are you even wearing something?"

"Not really." Killua said with a devilish glint in his eyes.

"Nothing at all?" Hayuri's eyes widened and her ears turned red.

"Well, just my underwear." Killua said and wiggled his eyebrows.

"What if Laila comes in?" she whispered, as if she would hear her out from outside.

"She won't. She, err… said that her room was almost soundproof and that we should enjoy our in here." Killua said and awkwardly coughed.

"No way." Hayuri's eyes widened and she had to cover her face in embarrassment. "I can't believe she told you that."

"Yeah. It was pretty awkward. She first had a long word with me about the first months after the baby is born and how I was supposed to work equally with you and such. Then she said that we should make the most of our **alone time** before there's three of us." Killua turned to face her as well and moved a hand to her face and softly traced her lower lip. "Actually, I think she's right, don't you?"

Hayuri seemed a little taken aback by this, and had to fight the blush in her face as she nodded. She looked at Killua in the eye and saw clear desire shining in his eyes. She thought that she would be a little nervous, since this would be the second time that they kissed. However, somehow she felt completely at ease – except for the clear desire building in her body. She moved to lightly kiss his lips and both of them closed their eyes as their lips moved against one another's. After a couple minutes, the kiss had gotten more fervent and their tongues were in action, so Hayuri moved to sit on top of Killua with a naughty smile in place.

"Damn, Hayuri. Do you want to crush the father of your child?" he said and smirked. He couldn't help but think that with slightly swollen and parted lips and disarranged hair she looked truly hot.

"First of all, I haven't gained any weight; it's the baby, so this is your fault too. Secondly, I know you can barely feel that; you're a Zoldyck after all." She smirked and moved down to bite his lip.

"Ah." Killua could only growl at that. He was about to say another come back at her, but Hayuri moved and sucked his neck, which dispelled every thought that he had in mind. He moved his hands up her shirt and inhaled the scent of her hair. She moved her lips to his ear and sucked on his earlobe, which made heat build in Killua's groin.

"Damn." He growled and turned them around with him on top. He pushed his hips closer to her and she gasped loudly at the feel of his erection against her. Killua turned to kiss her neck as well and slowly moved down to her collar bone. He kissed and licked whatever skin he managed to uncover of her breasts, but finally pulled her shirt upwards and removed it at once. He looked down at Hayuri as he straddled her hips and her quick breathing. He looked at her in the eye, with an almost predator look in his own, and he moved his fingers up her hips. He trailed them along her swollen belly and up to her ribcage, making her shiver slightly and get goose bumps on her skin. Hayuri was completely stunned by the look in his eyes as he devoured her with his thorough observation. Her heart raced even quicker and could feel his fingers tracing fire along her sides. She moaned softly when his hand stoked her breast in a circular manner. She closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation, and felt something wet and hot close on her other breast.

"Hnnn." She moved her head back and slightly opened her mouth. Killua kissed and licked her breasts for what seemed like long minutes, until she pushed him back and rolled them over once again. She looked down at him with a flushed face and slowly sat on his hips. His hands shifted to grab her hips firmly and push her lower into him, making the both of them softly groan in pleasure. Hayuri moved against his hard member a couple times, but then moved up to kiss his neck and shoulders. She left a trail of kisses down his chest and down his abdomen. When her wet tongue licked him under the edge of his underwear, Killua closed his eyes and hissed in desire. He felt her remove his underwear and heard it land somewhere to the left, but it was soon forgotten when her hands touched him. It was soft and slow, as if not being sure what to do, so Killua moved his hand to hold hers.

"Like this." He said and made her fingers close around his length firmly. He moved her hand up and down, showing her the right motion, which she picked up after a couple seconds. She pumped her hand up and down his length for a couple more seconds. Suddenly, Killua felt her mouth close around him and he had to suppress a loud moan at the feel of her tongue against him. After a while, he had to push her away and sit up. "Let me."

He pushed her down on the bed and removed the rest of her clothes in one swift motion. Killua moved her legs so that they were bent on either side of her and he crouched in front of her. He inspected her for a while and moved a hand to softly touch her legs and up to her groin. She gasped when he slid a finger between her fold and moved if up and down. Killua used two fingers to part her lips and expose her wetness to him. He moved his head closed and licked her, immediately finding her clit and sucking hard on it.

"Ahh! K-Killua!" she moved a hand to his hair. "Not so hard."

Killua nodded and licked and sucked on her mound – softly now - which after a while earned him moans and gasps. He looked out from in between her legs to watch her face as her body tensed and she opened her mouth to moan loudly. Killua was surprised to find that her womb pulsated under his hand as she came and he made the decision to feel her himself. He moved up to come face to face with her and they kissed passionately. Killua pulled back and locked her in the eye to see the deep desire burning in her.

"Hayuri." He said and she slightly moved her head up to signal that she was listening. "I want to feel you come when I'm inside."

"Do it." Hayuri said and bit her lip in expectation.

Killua moved his hips to hers and he entered her the next second, amazed that she seemed even tighter now than the last time they'd made love – when she was still a virgin. He wondered if it had anything to do with the baby, but soon his thoughts cleared when she moved against him. He met her movements and opened her legs in front of his chest, giving him a good view of where they were joined.

Hayuri watched Killua moved her hand to touch her as he pumped in and out of her at the same pace. She closed her eyes in delight and concentrated on the amazing feeling that came on her. His thrusts coming deep inside her and his finger making her clit swell once again were driving her mad. Not long after, she felt her body tighten and her body tremble in pleasure as she hit her climax.

Killua watched as she neared her orgasm and stopped moving inside of her as he watched her. She moved her head back and opened her mouth to softly scream. He was flabbergasted as he felt her walls pulsate around him and squeeze his member with considerable force. It was such an incredibly good feeling, that he almost went over the edge, but managed to catch himself in time. When her moaning stopped and her body relaxed once more, Killua let his instinct take over. He started firmly pumping in and out of her as her legs hung on his shoulder and he brought her hips closer to meet his thrusts. After a minute or two, Hayuri's face scrunched up in delight and she opened her mouth.

"Killua, harder." She instructed and he obliged. Her gasps turned into moans and he felt her walls close up on him once again. He felt that he was close as well and decided to move again, but was stopped when Hayuri pushed him on his back on sat on top of him. "I want to see you come like this."

She said and moved down to kiss and suck on his neck, still remaining connected to him and slightly pressing her belly against his abdomen. Killua got his cue and thrusted into her hard as he felt his climax get closer and closer. When he finally came, Hayuri watched with amazement as his eyebrows furrowed deeply and his lips parted for him to moan with a deep voice. His breathing calmed down soon, but she didn't move away and lied on top of him.

"I had wanted to see your face when you came, since last time I hadn't had the chance." She whispered into his shoulder and encircled his neck with her arms.

"And?" Killua asked.

"It was hot, incredibly hot. I think I might get addicted to that expression of yours." She smirked.

"Well, I don't think it'll be a problem, since I think I will have to see you come every day from now on." He groped her ass with a crooked smirk and she laughed a bit at his antics.

Hayuri certainly would to try and touch every corner of his body and give him as much pleasure as she could. She would make the most out of this time she and he had by themselves.

 **A/N: Here it goes. Nothing too big happened in this chapter, but I had to write another lemon right now.**

 **MadokaMagica1998: Evil brother will definitely come up sometime. I'm sorry T_T**

 **Elisablackcat: Ahahahahah xD that would've been hilarious though. Kikyo can be such a good humor asset.**

 **Guest: Thank you! I hope you enjoyed.**


	28. Welcome home

CHAPTER 28

The town in which Laila lived was small and on a far corner of a developing country. It had just the basic shops and services to live, like fresh food, some clothing stores and a couple other places to buy medicine and other stuff at. Being so small, the nearest hospital and full sized market were two hours away. There was only one TV channel and people had to walk almost a kilometer to get a cellphone signal. Killua and Hayuri had agreed to stay in this place, noting this it would be much unlikely for Illumi to find them in such a place. Killua had argued at first, saying that he would go nuts without internet for so long, but had finally accepted that it was their best choice.

However, since there was no hospital in there and they could not go to a bigger city, the baby would have to be born at Laila house. Killua and Hayuri were kind of scared at first, thinking that it was too dangerous, but Laila convinced them otherwise. She said that she had given birth to four babies at home and that almost every woman in there also had. The local midwives were experienced and kind and they would safely help the deliverance. Laila also stated that having a natural birth with no painkillers was the best way to give birth to; she claimed that mother's strength stemmed from that ritual moment. Killua had listened to her shamanic sort of explanation with a raised eyebrow, but Hayuri seemed pretty interested in all of that. Killua had wanted to say something to that ridiculous superstitious stuff, but decided against it. The chances of meeting his brother when going to a hospital were higher than Hayuri having any kind of complications anyways.

Another problem that they had found was that the town didn't have a bank and no shops allowed payment through credit card or any of the sorts. So, in view that they didn't have much cash - still enough to live there for over a half a year, but not enough to put them at ease - they had to find jobs. The kind that regular people did. Killua had offered that Hayuri stayed home, but she refused. She wanted to keep working before and after the baby was born. They talked a lady that owned one of the few clothing stores into allowing them to take half a shift in turns. One of them would work a couple mornings and the other would do it the other working days. Killua had complained at first; he had never imagined himself doing such a thing to earn money. Ever. Besides the pay was terribly low, it barely covered the basic expenses of one person. Thankfully, they had enough cash to complement that salary and support themselves. Killua wondered how people in that town managed to support their families with a whole shift's income only. He thought for a while if it would be too dangerous to go out to a major city to get more cash, but Hayuri managed to convince him otherwise. If Illumi found them now, they would probably lose, since she was in no condition to fight.

Slowly, they settled into a comfortable routine. Killua would work Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at the shop, while Hayuri covered for the rest of the days. The shift would end at 2 pm sharp and they would eat lunch with Laila. Whoever stayed back at home would help her with the house chores. In the afternoons, Killua and Hayuri would go out to the woods to train. Killua would train his overall abilities, while Hayuri focused on training her nen. In the evening they would head back home, prepare lunch with Laila and talk afterwards about anything that came to mind.

Killua had found out two things during these couple hours that the three of them spent talking every day. First of all, he had grown to care about their landlady. Laila was kind and had and almost dark sense of humor; always joking about the most serious subjects and teasing them to no end. However, she seemed to have tact too, because she never joked about anything that might be hurtful to them. When she was serious, she also was an unexpectedly wise and informed woman; she knew all about economy and politics; naturalism and ecology; craftsmanship's and ancient techniques. Killua was kind of surprised at this fact, since he had assumed that she was an ignorant small town old lady. It was no surprise that Hayuri respected her so much; he kind of did too by now.

The second thing he learned during this time of the day was that pregnant women being really sensitive was not a myth. Not sensitive in a bad way... but it was notorious. The first time that an almost ridiculous outburst happened was when Laila had been telling them about a disease that bunnies got. It was due to eating too much lettuce - apparently they couldn't live only off lettuce as some people thought - and it was locally known as wet-butt. Hayuri opened her eyes and murmured something along the lines of 'wet-butt.. small bunnies...poor things'. She couldn't finish what she was saying, because she chocked on her own tears and cried. It had been so hilarious and ridiculous that Killua had had to laugh. He had tried not to - hard - but couldn't hold it in and, what started as a small chuckle, soon became a loud laughter. Apparently, this didn't make Hayuri mad - which he had expected - but served to show her what she had actually been crying about. In the end, the three of them laughed about it for minutes until their cheeks hurt.

Every day at night, Killua and Hayuri would go to sleep together. Sometimes they lay next to each other and talk - or not at all - until sleep took over. Other times they would make love and every time it was great. Killua had come to know Hayuri's body like the palm of his hand and could make the most of every night they shared. Her belly had gotten real big though, and their movements had been restricted to a couple positions. On the other hand, her pleasure had increased with and, the size of her stomach, and she was tighter too. So it was a good improvement on sex for both of them.

Hayuri, on the other hand, was also getting tired to being pregnant. The first seven or so months had been fine. She could move around and actually rest if she sat down or lay down. However, by now she was constantly tired and the baby was pressing so much against her ribcage that she was out of breath most of the time. She had to wake up many times every night to pee, her bladder about to burst under the pressure of 8 or 9 kg. Her feet were sometimes swollen and it hurt to walk; thankfully Killua's sharp eyes always noticed this and he would always offer the massage her feet until they felt better. He also helped her get cream on her belly every night. She constantly felt tired and big, but Killua made her feel so loved that she almost forgot all about it.

One night two days before their due date, Hayuri woke up in the middle of the night, which had repeatedly happened every night. However, this time she didn't wake up with a full bladder. Hayuri slowly sat up to a sharp pain on her lower back. She massaged it for a while until it was gone and then went back to sleep. She had barely closer her eyes when another stab came to her belly. She watched the clock and wrote down the time at which the stab had happened. She tried to sleep for a couple hours, which didn't prove to be fruitful, since regular stabs to her sides and back woke her every 5 minutes (according to her notes).

"Killua." She said shaking him awake.

"Hmm?" He mumbled half asleep.

"I think it's time." She said and he jerked to a sitting position.

"The baby?" He questioned with wide eyes.

"Yes, look." She handed him her notes. "I've been having contractions every five to eight minutes for almost three hours."

"Three hours? Why didn't you wake me up before?"

"I'm sure that there's still at least some hours left. So I let you-"Hayuri didn't finish as another contraction came to her. She growled lowly and scrubbed her soreness firmly.

"Are you all right?" He seemed suddenly worried.

Hayuri nodded silently and breathed deeply. Finally she spoke and asked that he fetched Laila, which he immediately did. Not thirty seconds later, Laila came in through the door followed by Killua.

"Sweetheart, how are you?" She said and put a reassuring hand on her shoulders.  
"Ehh.. now I'm fine. I think the baby's coming." She said and handed her the notes she had been taking.

"Well, it certainly seems so. Where does it hurt?"

"Mostly my lower back and sides."

"Then there's still time left. It's seven in the morning anyways."

Laila left to set some things for later and Killua sat down next to Hayuri with a sigh.  
"I can't believe it's time already."

"Yeah." She smiled and held his hand. Not ten seconds later, another contraction hit her and she spoke with a strained voice. "Rub my lower back."

Killua did so as she leaned forward to hold her weight on her hands. After a while, she felt the unexplainable need to walk. So she did, and for a long time. She walked in circles and leaned on the dining table as her contractions went by. Killua sat there with her and rubbed her back every time she was in pain.

Killua watched over Hayuri as Laila made breakfast for them. They sat down, trying to act casually and talk while eating their toast and fruit.

After 10 am., Hayuri's contractions got stronger; the stabbing feeling sharper and more regular. Laila told her to get into the bathtub saying that it would ease her pain and she left to find the midwife.

Hayuri threw her clothes off and sat inside the streaming water. She released a breath that she had been holding and looked at Killua, who was sitting on the closed toilet.

"This really helps."

And it did; her tight belly muscles relaxed a bit at the heat of the water around her. She sat there for minutes and Killua caressed her hair smoothly as they talked about light subjects. Time flew by like this and soon the midwife had arrived.

"Hello, honey. My name is Claire and I'll help you out through your labor."

"Hey." Hayuri smiled as she wasn't currently having a contraction. "I'm Hayuri. Is Killua allowed to stay?"

"Of course. May I check how far along you are?"

Hayuri nodded, got off the water and sat on a chair that someone had brought in.  
"Five centimeters." The midwife stated after checking her dilatation. "How long have you been in labor?"

"I think the contractions started at a regular pace at 4 am." Killua answered for her.

"So it's been 7 hours." She wrote down. "I'd say we are half the way through, but it's only a rough estimation."

"It hasn't been half that bad." Hayuri said with slight surprise. The midwife simply smiled a knowing smile and Hayuri wondered if things would get more difficult.  
Every time a contraction hit Hayuri, she had to breathe in and out and crouch or bend to allow her muscles to stretch better. Slowly, the pain got sharper.

Hayuri didn't know how long it had been, but she had been hungry and had needed to eat some fruit and drink water two times already. The sky got colored in red and purple, as night slowly crept on them. At some point, the pain was so strong that Hayuri thought that she wouldn't be able to live through it.

"It hurts too much." She whimpered and held Killua's constant hand more tightly. "I feel like I'm gonna die."

"You are fine." The midwife assured her. "Just go with the flow."

Hayuri closed her eyes and tried to endure the painful contractions as they came. By now, she had to whimper and tremble every time she was hit by the pain, feeling as though her body was being torn apart. It wasn't only incredibly painful, but she had been in labor for almost 18 hours and she felt emotionally and mentally drained. She didn't even recognize people around her anymore. When her contractions passed by, her eyes would sometimes find Killua, who was always sitting next to her. He was constantly there holding her with an expression filled with intent and care.

At one point Hayuri was so tired and so desperate that she started mumbling almost incoherently.

"Make it stop. I can't do this." Hayuri sobbed and trembled. "I can't. I never thought it would hurt so much."

Hayuri sobbed and Killua was about to say something, but the midwife stopped him with her raised palm and shaking head. He bit down the words on his throat as the frustration and impotence of seeing her like that grew even more.

An hour went by like this, and Hayuri had practically forgotten who she was and where she was. The pain had numbed her thoughts and emotions, her body working only by instinct. She didn't even notice that she was practically naked as she strolled around the room and that her hair was sticking to her sweaty forehead. Damn, someone could take a photo of her right now and she wouldn't have noticed.  
Suddenly, her senses came back to her in a rush and she stood up on instinct. She turned to look at the three people with her with an animal glint in her eyes. Determination shining in them in resemblance of the eyes of a wild animal.

"Now." She practically growled and the midwife nodded. Hayuri crouched down and Laila immediately got behind her to hold her weight. Killua sat down in front of her, next to Claire, as Hayuri started to push. Suddenly, water splashed out of her and onto the floor; her water had broken.

Her wild screams echoed through the room and her eyebrows slightly furrowed with intent. Killua had always thought that such a scene would be disgusting to watch, but at this moment he couldn't help but be amazed. It truly seemed that what Laila had said months ago was true; somehow the strength and determination shone brighter in Hayuri's eyes now. Her pain and exhaustion didn't seem to bother her anymore. Killua felt a deep sense of pride for Hayuri and thought that he admired her even more now. He heard as her screams became almost guttural and saw something appear from within her.

Hayuri could feel her body tighten around something; her skin feeling like it was on fire around it. She didn't know how she did it, but her animal mind took over and she somehow pushed with a might she didn't know she possessed. Not five minutes later, she felt something slip out of her and her belly suddenly felt empty.  
When she looked up she was met with the sweetest image she had ever seen.

Killua was sitting right in front of her with a small baby in his hands, which were covered by fluids and some blood. However, his expression was awestruck and there was great emotion in his glassy eyes. Hayuri leaned over to him and stretched her hands to her child. He handed it over to her and she was surprised at how light it was and how natural it came to her to hold it close – and she had never held a baby before.

The baby was warm and fragile and it felt as though it was meant to stay there skin to skin with her. The midwife wrapped them in a thick warm blanket and moved them over to the bed. She didn't even notice her own shaky steps, since her whole being was filled with her child.

Hayuri felt Killua wrap his arms around her and looked at him to notice that there were tears streaming down his face. She smiled at him and nuzzled his cheek with her nose. He chuckled and tightened his hold on her, not wanting to speak and ruin the sort if magic that had slowly come upon them.

The midwife checked on their pulse and general health, but didn't say anything, which probably meant that they were all right.

"It's a boy." Laila said, and only then it occurred to Hayuri that, for some reason, she had known all along.

"Welcome home, Yamato." She smiled, thinking that the name they had picked if it were to be a boy suited him perfectly.

After a while, the baby moved its head back and forth as if searching for something. Hayuri moved him and, as soon as he was next to her breast, he started feeding himself.

Killua sat behind the two of them with a huge twirl of emotions in his chest. Happiness, fulfillment and pride like he had never thought he would be able to feel. The raw strength of the experience still kept him in complete awe. Also, there was a strong sense of responsibility within him and he silently made a vow.

 _I swear on my life, I will never allow harm to come to either of you._

 **A/N: OK, this was a huge chapter for me. When my son was born it was a huge experience and I wanted it to be as powerful in this fanfiction as it is in real life. (YES I have a son, YES I write fanfiction still, And YES I should write more thoroughly, but I don't invest much time in this!). Anyways, let me know what you think.**

 **MadokaMagica1998: Heh, it'll come. And also, you don't need a partner to have a sex life. Although with someone else it gets better! LOL. Thank you for reviewing!**


	29. Respect and Commitment

CHAPTER 29

Killua entered a small room that was in between the bedroom Laila rented them and the living room. He heavily sat on the couch – the only furniture that fit inside the tiny space - and sighed. Having a child was not what he had expected it to be. Really. He had been trained as an assassin, but at this moment, he felt like taking care of a baby was more mork than he had ever gone through in his life. The baby was now almost 4 months old, and things just now seemed to stop getting harder. He and Hayuri would take turns to watch over the baby boy, so they both could work. Killua had thought at first that he would work hard training and working and then rest while watching after his son. However, it was the other way round; he was more rested when away from the little bundle.

He couldn't even begin to understand how hard it was for Hayuri. For starters, there was no formula or nursing related technologies in this town, so there wasn't much he could do to help out on that subject. He didn't even count anymore, but he guessed that she nursed the baby at least 5 or 6 times _every_ night. He had argued that they didn't need to do that and that they could set a schedule, so that she could get some sleep every night. Laila, however, had mentioned that in order to keep the milk production for a longer period than usual, she had to nurse the baby whenever time he wanted for at least a year. So that meant not only that she had been getting terrible sleep for 4 months straight, but also that Killua had to go once every morning to her work so that she could nurse him, since he was still too young to go so many hours without being fed. Also, every time she was around, the baby seemed to want to be in her arms and not his. Hayuri had complained a couple times about not being able to rest neither at home nor at work and said that she would lose her mind anytime. Killua had silently sat next to her as she cried a couple times, because of not knowing how to calm the baby when it cried or when she had an emotional breakdown. Their life had become a twirl of cries and restless nights, not having time to do anything but look after the kid, take care of the house, work and rest whenever they could. Every other night, when Hayuri didn't immediately fall asleep next to the baby, they sat in the kitchen and had some tea and talked for an hour or two.

The door opened and Hayuri entered the room. She nodded softly, signaling that the baby had fallen asleep while nursing, and she wordlessly sat down next to Killua. Hayuri closed her eyes and stretched her body on the couch. Her body was continuously exhausted; her back hurt from carrying the baby all day and nursing the baby all night. She guessed that the bags under her eyes were now constant. Also, her breasts still hurt whenever she fed the baby, less than the first month or two, but still. Hayuri felt that her body had been practically enslaved to the task of being a mother; she practically didn't get any space. Sometime she envied Killua, since his life seemed much more regular than her own, even when he seemed tired as well. On the other hand, she had to admit that the little bundle made her heart swell with warmth. She had immediately fallen in love with its big green eyes, silver hair and slightly tanned skin. His hands and feet were so small, that she wondered if they would break under the slightest pressure. Whenever their eyes locked she felt pride within herself and the will to keep going build once again. Hayuri couldn't rest if she knew that Yamato was sad or in distress, she felt the urge and pull to watch over him and care for him. She knew that Killua felt a huge sense of responsibility with his son, but she could see that building a bond with his son had not come as natural as with her. She had been a little worried at first, but she had seen it slowly build between them, with time. She had wondered before, but now she was sure that the bond between a mother and her baby was unique and it came from her gut, while the bond with a father was built through experience and with time.

Hayuri slightly turned to look at Killua as he encircled her shoulders with a smile. Killua always seemed to want to spend time with her whenever they had time; hug, cuddle, kiss, or whatever. Hayuri felt somewhat guilty, but some days she didn't want to have anything to do with anybody. When the baby was asleep was the only time of the day that she could lay back and rest for an hour or two or have some personal space to think or simply do nothing. However, when she looked into Killua's eyes, she saw how much he missed spending time with her. It killed her whenever she had asked for some space, because the disappointment in his eyes broke her heart a little. She loved him more than ever; he had been so great with her since the baby had been born. Supportive, loving, patient and fair whenever it came to taking care of the house or the baby. He changed as much diapers as she did, he cooked and cleaned as much as she did and thought ahead of their needs whenever she had too much on her mind. She couldn't really ask anything else from him. So, even though she sometimes wished to be alone, most of the time she simply accepted him and melted into his embrace, which she still enjoyed, even those days when she was craving for personal space.

Hayuri hugged him closer to her and inhaled his scent; it always helped her relax. She felt him nuzzling her head and she looked up to meet a soft kiss that he put on her lips. They kissed innocently for a minute or two, but soon Killua's kissed got hungrier and his hands started trailing up her legs. Hayuri immediately knew where he was going. Ever since a couple days before the baby's birth, Killua hadn't done anything sexual besides kissing, so nothing at all had happened. And Hayuri had been grateful; she didn't feel any desire at all. Not when she was alone, not when she was with Killua, not with anyone. And now that he was trying something for the first time, she didn't know what to say. She felt his hand cup her breast, and she immediately remembered how sore she still felt and how tired she still felt.

"Killua." She said and held his hand in place. "I… I don't want this."

"No?" Killua's eyes widened a bit. "But… it's been so long."

"I… I know." Hayuri said and gulped. How could she even explain to him the reasons for this? Before, it didn't matter how tired she was, because for some reason it never took a toll on her sexual desire. She didn't know why it did now, but she actually felt the sexual drive like a little girl. "I'm tired and I don't feel like doing this."

"I know you're tired… but it's been four months. Don't you sometimes want to? Even a bit?" he said and his eyebrows furrowed.

"I... not really. I'm sorry." Hayuri apologized and held his hand tighter. Both stayed silent for a while and Killua seemed to struggle with something.

"Many times, you don't seem to want to touch me and seem to want to be alone. You space out and sleep all day. I understand when you say that's it's because you need some personal space and all of that. But sometimes I feel that…" he finally locked eyes with her and the look on his eye broke her heart. "Do you… not love me anymore?"

"What!" Hayuri's eyes widened and she shook her head. "No! I love you, I really do. Even more than before."

"Then why do you not miss being together with me?" Killua almost growled in frustration and look at the ground. "I miss you so much. I don't get to spend alone time with you, I barely get to talk to you when Yamato is awake, I almost never get to hug you at night anymore. I understand all of that, because our son is small and he still needs a lot of attention. But, why do you not want to make love to me?"

Killua looked down again and his bangs covered his face, but Hayuri knew exactly what face he was making. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. What could she say at a time like this? She didn't even understand why her body was acting like that, but she certainly wished that it didn't. She wished that all the love that she held for him in her heart would flow to her body as it had easily happened before. Killua looked up and he tentatively put his lips on hers again. He kissed her fervently and Hayuri allowed him to this time around. She felt him move his hand up her leg, but didn't say anything. She didn't say anything when he touched her breasts and ass. She didn't say anything when he took the last of her clothes off while kissing her neck with need and desperation.

Hayuri was glad and happy to know that he still desired her as much as he did before. But her body didn't seem to be under her control anymore – not that it ever was, really. Killua moved her so that she was on her back and he was on top and he leaned down to put his arms around her. Hayuri had to suppress a wince when he entered her, her body stretching somewhat painfully and the lack of moisture in her making it rougher. She averted her eyes when she felt him move inside of her, scared that he would notice that she was in discomfort. His thrusts got harder and her insides got a little wet, which made the pain go away, but for some reason the pleasure never came. She cursed her own body for betraying her feelings of love for this man and making this so dull. Hayuri couldn't her but feel that they were not making love, but rather he was fucking her and she was allowing him to because of some sense of duty. Hayuri closed her eyes, hoping for it to end soon, and clutched the pillows with tight fists. When he barely grunted finishing and then lay down beside her, she had to turn her back to him. She didn't want him to see her as tears filled her eyes. Hayuri then swore that she would never do this again if she didn't feel like it, or she was sure that it would end up destroying their family. She felt terribly guilty and angry towards herself for changing her sexual behavior. Also, the more the seconds passed her anger towards Killua for not accepting her refusal only grew. He must have known she hadn't wanted, yet he had done everything to convince her otherwise. This was not how it was supposed to be.

Killua sat motionlessly next to her and covered his face with his hand. He wasn't stupid; he had noticed that she hadn't liked it. He could have sworn that he almost saw her flinch when he entered her. Only at that moment he noticed that he had probably done things to quickly blinded by his built up need of her. He then considered stopping many times while inside of her, but he wished so badly to receive a response from her. A little encouragement that he would take to turn things around and make her scream in pleasure once again. However, as he kept going, the sinking feeling in his chest grew heavier, dulling the sexual pleasure that he was supposed to be feeling. Now that he sat next to her, the intimacy that was supposed to bloom after sex was completely nonexistent. Even worse, he felt that they were miles further than before, when they had simply sat together and enjoyed each other's presence.

Suddenly he was brought out of his thoughts when there was a stifled sob next to him. He turned to Hayuri with wide eyes only to watch her pick her clothes in a second and disappear through the bedroom door. If Killua had had any doubt about her willingness before, he now had none. If she was so against it why hadn't she stated it again? She had said it once, but he thought that he had convinced her to give it a try.

Suddenly, Killua remembered himself questioning her love for him. He had actually never really doubted her feelings; he could see how her eyes softened at the sight of him, how she smiled in his presence and how grateful she was for having him. He had always known. He had done it unconsciously, but he now clearly saw his own hidden intentions in that question and he hated himself for it. He had left her no choice but to accept him, because he knew as well as she did that she had no control over how she felt and therefore had no logical answer for him. Killua recalled what Laila had told him before Yamato's birth.

 _Also, the woman's libido – or sex drive - gets unusually low after giving birth. It's not just the first month and a half as they say, since that period has more to do with a physical recovery thing. Actually, nursing hormones and exhaustion bring sex drive down as long as for a year, which It doesn't mean that nothing will happen at all, but it'll be… slow. I've seen woman being practically coerced - forced sometimes - into having intercourse with their husbands when they don't feel like it, sometimes even feeling pain while at it._

Killua snorted at himself, remembering how appalled he had been at the suggestion of making her do something she didn't want to. In the end, he had acted just like any guy too focused on his own sexual need to actually respect his mate's choice and feelings on the matter. He had felt how she had barely gotten wet after a while of intercourse, which proved that her sexual drive really was low. He had also seen her barely suppress a wince or two, meaning that he had actually hurt her a bit. She hadn't wanted him to know how she felt, probably due to his own questioning of her feelings. Killua clenched his jaw and thinking that Hayuri must've felt terrible at not being able to respond to him like he had asked. Did she hate herself?

On the other hand, now that he looked back at their history, nothing had ever felt this wrong between them. Of course they had disagreed a couple times or slightly snapped at each other when too tired. However, until now Killua had never felt like he had hurt her, disrespected her or broken her trust in him. They had been together for a year now, and he was certain of one thing that had never given much thought to when he was younger. A relationship was not based on passion – though it was a big part of it - but in respect and commitment. They were not together and did not love each other because of mere attraction, but because of everything else. How did she feel about what had just happened? He feared that he had done something that would take their relationship downhill from now on. Would they move past this? Did she hate _him_?

Killua stood up without a second thought and put his boxers and trousers on. He walked to the door that Hayuri had closed behind herself only a couple minutes ago and took a hold of the handle. However, he stopped his movements when he heard her sniffling and soft crying inside the bedroom. His heart clenched inside his chest and he felt tears glimmer in his own eyes. Was she angry with him? Would things get out of hand if he talked to her now? Shouldn't he give her some space now and talk later? Besides, if he entered the room, what was he even supposed to say to her? Sorry for forcing you into sex? He had no fucking idea.

Killua decided to stay away for now and talk to her tomorrow, so he lay down on the couch. He tried to get to sleep, but his worries and the guilt in his chest kept him wide awake all night.

\- Time skip -

Hayuri woke up – for the fifth time that night – to her baby's complaints to be fed. Her eyes stung from crying so much and getting so little sleep and her body felt really sore because of the lack of rest. However, she immediately got to her baby with a smile and breastfed him. She looked out the window and out to the small backyard behind the house, noticing that it was morning already. She watched the sun rays filter through the tree leaves and the birds singing. She watched the scenery for a moment while holding Yamato's warm body close to her own and allowed the peace of it to wash the lump in her throat away. Killua hadn't come into the room last night, and she was honestly scared of what it meant. She was still hurt by his actions, and was still angry at herself for feeling like she did, but she was more worried about the both of them. After a couple minutes, she felt the door to the room open slowly and she turned her head to see Killua enter slowly. He quietly walked to where she was sitting just as Yamato stopped feeding. Neither said or did anything for a couple seconds until Killua gently put a hand on her shoulder.

"You watched over him the whole night, rest for a second." He said in a barely audible voice, afraid that he'd break the frail balance between them. "I'll change his clothes and diaper."

Hayuri wordlessly nodded and allowed him to take Yamato away from her. He heard him change his diaper and clothes, but she didn't dare look his way. He hadn't watched him in the eye since he had entered the room and was afraid to do so. She feared what she could find in his eyes and also of what she herself could feel when looking at him. She heard him walk past her and into the garden with Yamato in his arms. She watched as he softly talked to him and showed him around the garden. He walked for a while, without facing Hayuri at all, but suddenly turned his head to look at her.

Their eyes locked and she could see dark circled under his eyes and sadness and worry in them. She knew him so well, that sheimmediately knew that he felt guilty and ashamed. She felt tears in her eyes; she was glad that he had known that he had hurt her and that he had cared enough. At the same time, she wanted to ease his worries away and make things right once again. So, she stood up and walked to him, stopping right in front of him.

"Killua-" she started but was interrupted.

"I'm sorry." Killua said and looked down with regret as he held Yamato in his arms. "I'm so sorry. I've missed your company and attention so much this last months – which of course I understand you cannot give me like before. It lead me to unconsciously put you in a situation in which you couldn't refuse me. I knew that you were in discomfort, yet I wished it to change somehow and for things to be as they were before, so I didn't stop. I should have. I didn't even enjoy it and felt worse as minutes went by. You know how you feel and I should have respected that. I'm sorry." Killua finished and softly closed his eyes as a gesture. "I promise to respect how you feel for now on and never to pressure you into such a thing never again. So, please forgive me."

Killua opened his eyes after a couple seconds to find Hayuri softly smiling, unshed tears in her eyes. She moved her hand to cup his face and her thumb caressed his jawline.

"Of course I forgive you. I'm sorry too."

"You didn't do anything wrong." Killua objected.

"I know. But I'm sorry for what we're going through. I really deeply wish to reciprocate your desire, but my body feels like that of a child. Also, I don't want us to do things just because of commitment, because I'm certain that it will destroy us. I think we should take it slow. Is that all right with you?"

"Yes." Killua nodded and moved close to Hayuri, putting his face in the crook of her neck and inhaling her scent. Hayuri put his arms around him, careful not to crush their baby, and kissed Killua's temple.

"Killua, I wonder if what I'm feeling is normal." She sighed after a couple seconds. "Is this supposed to feel like this?"

"What, hasn't Laila said anything to you?" Killua raised his eyebrows.

"About what?"

"When we first got here she told me that after birth nursing hormones and exhaustion would probably keep your sex drive really low." He said and Hayuri's eyes widened. "I thought she had said something to you about it."

"She didn't." Hayuri said with a thoughtful face. She stayed silent for a couple seconds and then chuckled. "Now that I think about it, it's only natural that I'll feel this way."

"How?"

"Well, you know how I'm really close to nature and all. Only now do I recognize to how most female animals in the forest would never try anything after giving birth and no males would go close either." She scratched her head. "Maybe it's some sort of natural mechanism to avoid a second pregnancy so close to the previous one."

"Well… I don't know about that." Killua chuckled, amazed at how she always seemed to create theories for everything. "But I don't need a logic reason to respect your feelings on the matter. We'll take it slow but… er… try not to take too long."

Hayuri lightly smiled as she nodded and then kissed him on the cheek.

"I'll do my best."

Suddenly, and out of the blue, Yamato laughed. He _laughed._ For the first time since he had been born. It was the sweetest thing that they had ever heard. Had he noticed the tension before? Did he notice that things were now right between them? Killua and Hayuri widened their eyes in amazement and then burst out laughing. Their laughter echoed on the walls around the small garden and, just like that, the tension that had been surrounding them disappeared completely.

 **A/N: In this chapter I tried to picture how a relationship is tested after the birth of a child. I think a little drama is never unrealistic, especially in this kind of situation (when many relationships go to hell or divorce). I hope you didn't get too bored with all of this, but I think it was important to give a slight idea on what they go through with a child. I promise that on the next chapter action will start once again! Brace yourselves.**

 **MadokaMagica1998 & Hexel-JustAnotherReader: Well, I think it would be terrible if I didn't know how to explain labor, since I have a son. I'm glad that you both liked it, and I too got chills when I wrote it.**


	30. Found

CHAPTER 30

Killua walked down the dirt main road with a one year old Yamato on one arm and a grocery bag on the other. He smiled at his son, who kept on pointing at different objects that caught his attention, and he named them for him. Killua was glad he was a father. It really brightened up his days more than he thought it ever would and, after a whole year of fatherhood, he found that it was not as hard as the first months. He wasn't sure if he had gotten used to it or if the workload had actually down, but he didn't really care.

Along with that, he and Hayuri were better than ever. They had managed to build a trust between them to an extent that had not been before. Their intimacy had also returned to normal by now and their son slept better at night - not all night long yet, but it was still better than before. Also, they worked a whole shift now and took turns on staying home with Yamato, starting at 7 am and ending at 3 pm. They trained now every afternoon for a couple hours while Yamato explored the wilderness of the woods they trained in and, therefore, they had managed to recover their previous physical strength. Once or twice a week Laila would watch over Yamato for a couple hours and Killua and Hayuri used that time to spar without needing to look after him. Honestly, things were going pretty well except for-

"Pffffft. Look at that." A snicker came to Killua's sharp hearing as he walked by a local restaurant. It was loud enough for any normal person to hear, so it was safe to assume that someone was mocking him. _Again._

"It's sad to see one of our own doing a woman's work."

"Well, not every man wears the pants in their relationship. Actually, only real men actually show their woman who's in charge. This one probably is just another pussy." Another one said and he was followed by loud laughter.

Killua clenched his fists and turned to slightly glare at the men who sat there drinking beers. He watched the smug look on their faces and was about to move on, when another comment reached his ears.

"Well, he certainly doesn't have any guts. That kid will probably grow up to be a pussy whipped by another bitch." Killua growled at their insult to both Yamato and Hayuri and swirled around to face them, putting the grocery bag down as he spoke.

"Is there something you want to say to me?" he asked raising an eyebrow at the men.

"Oh, I think you've heard it all already. You´re a fucking dishonor for our gender, doing a woman's duty and letting her work for money."

"First of all, be both work for money and do the housework." He said raising a finger, trying to keep calm. This was the second time that he had heard that particular group's mockery directed his way because of this, but they had never been so blunt. He knew that he should walk away, but bad-talking his family was something else. He couldn't stay quiet and let this ignorant fools get away with it. "It's called equality. And second of all, why would I want to have her do all of the so called ' _dishonorable'_ work? I wouldn't be fair to someone I care about."

"Ohhhhhhhh! That's it, right?" A particularly fat man said. "Well, I love my wife too, but she does everything for me. She cooks, cleans, looks after our children and sews at night to help with some money too. She loves me and works hard to keep me pleased. _You_ 're just whipped."

"It doesn't sound fair at all. She's doing all of that while you sit around and have an overly extended lunch break?"

"What can I say, my woman knows her place. I'm a strong man and she knows that I'm in charge." He said pointing at himself while everybody at the table cheered for him.

"Well, you just sound like a weak man trying to reassure himself by mistreating his woman. If you were really strong and confident as you seem, you would find an equally strong confident woman who stands up for herself. _That_ speaks more than anything else."

He finished and then rose his eyebrows as the man stood up sharply, making his chair rumble against the floor. Killua only then remembered that he was holding a child in his hands and cursed at his stupidity. Yamato was watching the exchange with interest and completely oblivious to the fact that his father had picked up on a fight. Who picks up fights while holding a baby? Him, apparently.

"How dare you, motherfucker. I'll show you what a real man is like." The fat man said and took a step closer to Killua.

"Look, I don't want any trouble. I shouldn't have said that, all right?" He waved him away and was about to crouch to get his grocery bag back, when the man took another step forward.

"You think I'll just let you walk away like that? Huh? I'll take the corpses for both of you back to your bitch and rape her fucking brains out until she learns what her place is."

Killua growled and glared at the man, who didn't seem to notice the chilling aura emitting from the silver haired young man. He clumsily aimed a punch at Killua, who tightened his hold on Yamato, firmly pressing him to his side, and took a hold of the man's wrist. He threw him over his shoulder, making him crash against the table and break it into tiny pieces. Everybody around them stopped talking with wide eyes. Another man from the group stepped forward and aimed another punch at him, while Killua simply twisted his arm around and held him firmly against the floor. Yamato was still quietly watching the exchange, but had seemed to notice that there was something going on, because he fisted his hands on his father's shirt.

"Listen, and listen well." Killua said as his bloodlust leaked out at full force, sending a chill down everybody's backs. His eyes were dull and black as he watched everybody around him tremble in fear and the two guys closer to him nearly pissing their pants. "You are all nothing but ants to me and I can crush you anytime with only this one hand." He said raising his only free hand to make a point. "I don't want any of you bothering me or my family ever again. If you do, I'll make you beg for a quick death. Is that clear?"

Everyone nodded silently and Killua let go of the man he was currently holding. He stumbled away in fear and stepped in between his buddies, who were still frozen in fear. Killua crouched to get a hold of the grocery bag and then he stepped away from them, a frown on his face.

 _Well, so much for going unnoticed in this place._

\- Time skip -

"I cannot believe you." Hayuri growled as she sat on the dining table, a hand on her tea mug and the other rubbing her temples. "You know that the whole idea of staying in this ridiculously small town was not raising any suspicion?"

"I know." Killua crossed his arms as he looked out the window at the starry night sky. "But you haven't gotten this kind of treatment before in here. I don't want to any of us to be looked down upon like that, but I also don't think it's fair if I start acting like one of them just to be left alone. We cannot live like this either."

"Yes, but did you really need to fucking hit them and threaten them while showing off your bloodlust?"

"Well, things got out of hand." Killua scratched the back of his head and sighed. "I'm sorry. Anyways, I don't believe that word will go out to major cities because of this."

"I guess." Hayuri sighed and then she looked up again with a smug smirk plastered on her face. "But anyways, I think that you put the three of us in danger. So, you need to make it up."

"Really?" Killua said while raising his eyebrows with an equally complacent expression and leaning forward so that his nose was only a palm away from hers. "What should my punishment be?"

"Well, I have a couple-" Hayuri started with a purr, but didn't get to finish.

"Hey! Not in the kitchen! There's a reason you have a room of your own!" a voice rang from the living room.

Killua and Hayuri straightened and a light blush crept on their faces. They had completely forgotten about Laila's presence. It was the third time that they had spoken in a sexually provocative manner in a common room while she was in the house. Hayuri leaned closer to Killua and whispered on his ear, sending shivers down his spine.

"I'll show you how you can make it up to me. Come." She said, her breath tickling Killua's neck, and pulled him through a door, closing it behind her quietly. Killua chuckled and groped her butt in a playful manner. She turned around and circled his neck with her arms. "You can't seem to wait until I close the door."

"How do you expect me to, when you make such a suggestion and then walk away, while showing off your ass?" Killua said and his arms traveled up and down her back.

"I wasn't showing it off." Hayuri mumbled into his neck.

"Well, I guess it was showing itself off. There's not much you can't do about it when you wear such revealing shorts." Killua smirked and his hand trailed up her leg and inside her shorts."

"Well, maybe we can fix that if you take them off." She said and moved to his lips. Not a minute later, they had engaged in a passionate kissing and were removing their clothes.

\- Time skip -

Hayuri smiled as she watched Yamato open up another drawer in their bedroom, taking out everything that he found inside and curiously observing it; sheets, clothing, hygiene products, pencils, and so on. He was too curious about everything, a glint of intelligence in his eye as he examined it, probably trying to find out what it was for. Hayuri smiled as she bent down next to him and pointed to the pencil in his hands.

"This is a pencil. You can use it on paper and draw or write. Here, look." She said and showed him how to use it. His eyes widened in recognition and he giggled cutely. "Try it."

The baby boy clumsily too the pencil out of her grasp and tried to draw something on the paper. After a couple tries he managed to make a couple lines and smiled with contempt. Hayuri sat down next to him and look out the window, watching the sun enter the room and lighting up the bed.

"-ady" Hayuri perked up at the sound and turned to look at her son.

"What?"

"Addy-." The boy repeated.

"You want to see your daddy?" she rephrased for him and he smiled, meaning that it was exactly what he meant.

"Yeah, me too." Hayuri smiled softly. "Your daddy had been working these past few days, but he will come home soon. Okay?"

Yamato looked into her eyes, making her wonder if he understood what she had said to him, and then went back to making drabbles on the sheet.

Hayuri sighed and looked down at her hands as she scrubbed them for warmth. After the little incident with the group of men a couple months ago, their employer had fired them. Just like that. He had made up a lame excuse and said that he was terribly sorry, but couldn't have them work in his shop anymore. Of course they knew that either word had gone out about Killua's outburst in the street or the group of men had decided to make an indirect move against them. Either way, they had lost their job. And they were running low on cash. After a long talk, they had decided that it would be hard to find another one on such short notice. Also, they had been doing things that were not what they were experts at; they were pro-hunters after all. So, in the end, they decided to start taking missions every now and then to get some cash. They had agreed that until Yamato was a little older, Killua would be the one taking missions. The first time he had gone out to do them had been three months ago, just after getting fired. He had been out for four days - two days of traveling and two days of working – and the amount he had made in that short amount of time would have been enough for them to last four or five months. Killua had gone out a second time, and he probably would come back any day now.

Hayuri was missing him so much. On one hand, taking care of a baby by herself all day and night was really tiring. She hadn't really noticed how much his help meant until he had been gone for more than a couple hours. She needed to take a break to just… think or take a walk by herself. Having Laila look after him while she took a shower was more than she could ask. Hayuri knew that the baby was not Laila's responsibility at all, so she never asked anything of her unless she herself offered to help.

On the other hand, she missed Killua himself. She missed talking to him, holding him, laughing with him. She missed the way his sapphire eyes shone with mischief every time he made a dirty joke or teased her. She missed the way his features would change whenever he was contempt, tired or smug - especially when he was being smug. Really, he was a smug bastard, something she had known from the beginning, and she couldn't help but be allured by that. She also missed his faults; him being an all-knowing person all the time and debating with her on whatever crossed their minds. Him getting angry at everyone for no reason; he never really did anything about that, but she couldn't help but chuckle remembering how he would furrow his brow at her teasing comments on him being a bitter old man.

Hayuri looked at Yamato as he put the pencil into his mouth and softly held his hand to stop him.

"Don't do that. It's toxic." She remarked and the kid simply dropped the pencil, already bored of it, and started looking into the drawer once again.

Hayuri wondered if Killua would be back soon, hoping that he would be back that day. She closed her eyes for a couple seconds and used En. Her En had a particularity; it was not a sphere as most nen users. Her En was like an octopus; it moved around the place in an irregular manner, which helped her reach much further than she normally would. On the other hand, it didn't allow her to get a clear grasp at her surrounding; it just served her to make a general mental map of the situation. Hayuri allowed her En to move around town, which reached a little past its outskirts, and searched for Killua's familiar presence. She sensed Laila on the living room, Yamato next to her, and other familiar presences that walked around on the streets.

She grinned widely when she found that Killua was walking down the street towards their home, and praised her intuition for making her use that ability. She was definitely going to go out with Yamato and surprise him before he got home. Maybe they could even pull a little prank on him; it was hilarious how he would always-

Hayuri abruptly stopped, her senses suddenly more aware than they had ever been for over a year. She sensed something that made her stomach drop and a knot to build in her throat. Not too far behind Killua, but far enough for not even him be able to realize it, were two strong presences. They were using an almost perfect Zetsu, which meant that if she hadn't used En, she would've never noticed them. The first presence made Hayuri wince, since she clearly recognized its usual murderous intent; it was Hisoka. However, the second one was far more terrifying. She had never met this person, but it's ruthless, calculating and cold demeanor helped her immediately pinpoint who it was. Illumi.

Hayuri opened her eyes frantically, watching her baby boy giggle again as he picked a shiny bracelet from the drawer. She had always known that they would be in danger going out to major cities to work. Killua had told her all about Illumi and they had agreed that he was resourceful enough to find them in almost any circumstances.

Hayuri's mind almost went overdrive, but managed to calm down and stopped for a couple seconds to think. Her En was completely irregular, so even though both men had certainly sensed her, they didn't have a way of finding out her current location. Nonetheless, this was a tiny settlement, and they would probably get to them soon enough. On the other hand, how come the both of them new each other? If going against Illumi would've been hard, going against both Illumi _and_ Hisoka would be more than they would probably be able to take. She needed to lure the both of them out of town and keep them away as much as she could.

Hayuri sat next to Yamato and, after making sure her voice would be calm and collected, she spoke.

"Hey." She said and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm going out for a while. I'll call Laila to watch over you for a while, all right?"

"Aila." Yamato answered with a smile. Hayuri looked into his eyes and she found herself lost for a couple seconds in his huge green and innocent eyes. She held him close for a second, breathed in his baby scent and kissed him on the forehead.

Hayuri took a deep breath in, knowing that she didn't have any time to lose, and stood up quickly. She opened the door to the living room and felt how her heart sped as she walked into it. She found Laila reading a book on the couch and walked to her.

"Laila." She started with a shaky voice this time and the older woman immediately looked up, noticing that something was wrong. "There are two strong assassins heading our way. Killua is a couple blocks away too, but probably hasn't noticed anything yet. I need to find him and take them out before they get here. Please watch over Yamato for me."

"Of course." Laila said with a slightly frightened expression and stood up hastily. She was about to enter the bedroom to find Yamato, but stopped midway and turned around to face Hayuri once again. "You will come back, right?"

Hayuri didn't know what to say to her. She should've lied to make sure that she wouldn't worry, but what if they didn't? What if they got killed? What would she do with their son? Would she come back here and be exposed to Illumi if he remained alive?

"Listen. I don't know if we will. The both of them are really strong. Really, really strong." She took a deep breath in and continued. "I want you to wait ten minutes and then leave town with Yamato. Take the money we have – you know where we keep it – and go to Kandia. Let's meet at the town square in two days. If we don't get in touch with you in a week, you can assume the worst… If that's the case and you cannot look after Yamato, you can take him to Killua's family. They'll take care of him... kind of. You shouldn't come back here for a while anyways. It'll be dangerous."

Laila stayed quiet for a couple seconds, looking at the ground and clenching her fists at her sides.

"Laila, I'm sorry to ask this of you. I'm so sorry. You don't deserve to be in this situation. But I have no one else-"

"Stop. Don't say sorry. You're like a daughter to me, all right? We are a family." She stopped for a couple seconds. "I won't have to take care of him, because I'm certain that you will come back. Neither of you would leave this child to be an orphan; you both love him too much. You do everything in your power to make sure that you come back. That at least one of you does."

Hayuri said nothing and smiled at how lucky she was for having someone like Laila. She nodded and watched her enter the bedroom where Yamato was in and start packing some clothing and diapers. Hayuri immediately walked out of the house and took a detour to get to where Killua was, to make sure they didn't notice where she had come from. She speed walked towards where he should've been by now, her hands trembling at her sides and her sense heightened - sensing everything and everyone around her.

Hayuri got to the main road and thanked that it was not too crowded. She took a couple steps towards the east and her eyes immediately fell on Killua, who was walking just a block away from her. She looked his way intently, waiting for his sharp senses to notice her attention. Of course he did and, in just a matter of seconds, their eyes had met. The happiness in his sapphire orbs immediately faded once he noticed the angst in Hayuri's eyes and the defensive stance in her body. He frowned and watched her with worry as they approached. When the distance between them dropped to zero, Hayuri started walking next to him. She kept her distance, acting as if they were only acquaintances, and talked to him with a straight face.

"You were followed." She mumbled, making sure that her lips wouldn't be read.

"Illumi." Killua growled and bit hard on his inner cheek, drawing blood.

"Not just him. Hisoka too." Hayuri said and she watched confusion in Killua's expression, but he professionally masked it in a matter of seconds.

"We need to lure them out. Yamato is safe, I assume."

"With Laila; she will be leaving with him in eight minutes. We need to keep them away until then."

Killua nodded, immediately agreeing with her plan. He knew that it would be suspicious for them to take a turn right now, but if they didn't they would get dangerously close to their home and further into the center of the town. As if they had somehow verbally agreed on it, both turned left on the next corner. They had only taken a couple steps towards the smaller street, when they felt their alarm bells go off. Both jumped out of the way just in time to avoid being pierced by needles and cards. They watched as the whole street suddenly froze and observed in shock at the two unknown men that suddenly appeared in front of the two residents. Not only the anonymous figures were leaking with bloodlust, but the silver-haired and the brunette were too. It was clear that whatever was going on, it would probably not end too well.

"I must praise you, Kil. You managed to hide from me for almost two years." Illumi's mouth turned into a dead and cold smile. "However, it is time that you face your destiny. Which is most definitely not this one. I know that you will not simply oblige peacefully, so let's just get this over with."

And, after those words were spoken, all hell broke loose.

 **A/N: Well, I gotta say this chapter took a little longer than usual, because 1. I had a writer's block, and 2. I didn't have much time to think it all through. I hope that you enjoyed it though. Next chapter will be thrilling and action filled. I'm already looking forward to it.**

 **MadokaMagica1998: Thank you for reviewing every time! Really. I motivates me to know that I have a couple loyal readers :')**


	31. Free

CHAPTER 31

Hayuri dodged to the right just in time to avoid getting down kicked by Hisoka, whose heel collided with the dirt floor under them. The ground cracked and he immediately turned around to launch at her again with full speed. Hayuri took a deep breath in in concentration and raised her forearms to block a hook punch at her jaw. As soon as she stopped him, she forcefully kicked him back, enhancing her strength with her Hatsu. Hisoka's eyes widened in delight at her increased power and he crushed into a wall behind him, bursting it into pieces.

"Ohhh~, Hayuri. When I saw you two years ago, I knew you would turn out strong. There's nothing as alluring as a good fight with a powerful woman." Hisoka grinned in a twisted way and licked his arm, which was now broken and bleeding due to Hayuri's powerful kick. "I'm definitely going to enjoy this."

Hayuri grew tired of his nonsense chatting and initiated another attack at him. She jumped up and twisted around in the air, swirling swiftly and kicking him again on the jaw. He managed to move aside and took a hold of her ankle. He pulled her to him and elbowed her on the gut. She minimized the damage from it, coating her lower abdomen with nen in the last second. She was thrown a good five meters away from him and jumped up, immediately recovering her defensive posture.

Killua, on the other hand, had immediately launched at Illumi. He knew that he was not getting out of with without a fight, so he went straight into it. He used his godspeed to kick him all around for a while, until he felt the need to recharge. He wished he could've killed Illumi while doing so, but his nen had been like an iron suit. Only when he was already too drained to keep his Godspeed up, he felt his brother's aura weaken. Killua stopped in front of him and glared daggers at him.

"Oh, Kil. You've become as strong as I thought you would. Don't you see that you're meant to inherit the business and become the so far finest assassin ever?" Illumi said in cold satisfaction.

"I don't care about what you think is meant for me. I've decided a different future for myself."

"Oh, have you? Or has _she_ chosen a future for you? Are you really the one choosing in here?" Illumi pondered for a moment.

"I have chosen to build a life with her, so we're making choices together now. Sorry to disappoint you, aniki, but I won't be dissuaded. You said it yourself."

Illumi smirked a crooked, nasty smile and picked up a couple needles from his back. Killua perked up at this and remembered that they were fighting in a public space. He stole a quick glance around him and noticed that there were people all around them, frozen in fear, pressing themselves against the walls of shops and crouching on the floor. _Why the fuck haven't they escaped?_ Killua inwardly growled and decided that they needed to leave that dense populated area immediately, or there would certainly be innocent casualties; if he dodged Illumi's needles, they would end up hurting somebody else.

For a second, his eyes met with Hayuri's, and they immediately agreed on leaving. Both jumped up and took the roofs, rushing out of town, closely followed by both older men. Not fifteen seconds later, they were back on the ground and entering a small forest. When they were deep inside and came into a clearing, they stopped and turned around, promptly faced by their opponents.

"It's so nice of you to mind the other villagers." Hisoka chuckled and then lifted a finger up to his chin. "I have a question for you. Where do you keep the kid? You know, I'd like to meet him and see if he's got as much potential as you two do."

"As if we'd tell you, idiot." Hayuri growled at him.

"No matter. After we're done with this, we'll head back and find him or her in no time." Illumi deadpanned. "Now, let's not waste more time."

Killua jumped back in order to avoid meeting an uppercut punch and did a couple back handsprings until he was a safe distance away. Illumi threw needles at Killua and he blocked them with a knife that he had tied to his belt. He immediately launched at Illumi once again and tried to slash his thigh. Illumi dodged, but as soon as he did, Killua took out his claws and slashed his upper right arm instead. Illumi moved a bit, so the wound was no serious, but it would definitely slow his movements.

Killua circled around Illumi for a second, until the older brother decided to jump up and throw needles down at him. It was a perfect attack, since the amount of needles and the area that it covered made it impossible to escape. Killua diminished the attack as much as possible, blocking and dodging as much as he could, ending up with a pierced arm. He growled at Illumi, noticing that he was slightly smirking at the fact that the amount of damage on each other was no even. Killua cursed the fact that it was him fighting his brother, since his electricity was of no effect on him. He wondered if it had been on purpose, but decided to not question such things. He glanced over at Hayuri, wondering if there was a chance of switching opponents.

Hisoka connected a kick at Hayuri's jaw, pushing her several meters back. She managed to land on her feet, but had to hold her weight on a tree for a second; her head was spinning and pumping due to the hit. Through her dizziness, she saw a figure dashing her way, and she jumped up on to the tree she was leaning on and then to another one. She shook her head in order to get read of the queasy feeling and took a deep breath in. After exhaling, she jumped back down and aimed a kick at Hisoka's head. He moved aside, successfully dodging her attack, but she gathered her aura and powered her hands. She fisted his hair in her hand, taking a good hold of him and forcing him to bend down in front of her. She took the chance and backhanded with full force him on the left temple. She was about to reach for a dagger in her straps, but Hisoka gathered his remaining strength and jumped away. He landed with difficulty and was clearly disoriented, barely keeping his body straight. Hayuri narrowed her eyes and jumped at him once again, the dagger in hand. She tried to slash his neck open, but he moved back and received a deep gash on his chest. He seemed shocked at that and, at the same time, weirdly turned on. Her ability was no too powerful in the sense that she couldn't use it much, but it could be lethal if used in an intelligent way. She had seized the opportunity to harm him enough to lower his guard and then attack him again, giving her the upper hand. Hayuri didn't waste any more time and lashed at him at full speed once again, deciding to finally end her battle and go give Killua a hand with Illumi. However, when she was just about to stab Hisoka straight in the middle of her chest, she was stopped by a voice.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." She heard Illumi say and immediately glanced his way. He was holding Killua down on his knees by the hair, his claws firmly pressed against his jugular artery. She was stopped dead in his tracks, a deep dread creeping into her veins and freezing her body inside-out.

Hisoka took the chance to grab a hold of her arm, and twist it around, forcing her to drop the dagger. He brought it behind her back and pushed her down with his knees. Hayuri growled in anger and glared at the psychopath who held her down with an amused smirk. His head was only a palm away from her to the right as he intently stared at her, so she could clearly see his features.

"Oh, Hayuri. You almost had me back there. Too bad that your man was not good enough." He smirked and his eyes were wide with excitement, his irises barely a dot on his orbs. He licked his lips and his head neared her neck, where he now pressed the dagger that she had dropped. His breathing was labored due to his frenzy, and she had to shudder in disgust at the way it tingled the sensible skin on her neck. "I believe that making you bleed will actually send me over the edge."

Hayuri averted her eyes and she met Killua's frightened ones; he seemed to be washed over with guilt and angst. Hayuri was terrified too; she knew that Illumi and Hisoka had no interest in keeping her alive. She should've just stabbed Hisoka and ignored Illumi's voice, because she was certain that he would have never killed his younger brother. She cursed herself for loosing focus at such crucial time and fucking everything up. She hissed when Hisoka slightly cut the side of her neck, drawing blood, and almost yelped when she felt him lick the wound clean. He chuckled and slightly sucked on it, drawing more blood out and into his mouth.

Killua glared darkly at him and a murderous aura leaked out of him. He made a move to step ahead, despite Illumi's claws brushing against his throat, but was stopped when Hisoka pointed the dagger at Hayuri's heart. He cursed under his breath and stood rooted on the ground. Hisoka laughed heartily at him, which was completely twisted in this situation.

"Killua-kun. It's good to see that you're keeping your emotions in check, as usual. I'd like to see how much you can take." He said and then moved his hand to take a card out of his pocket. He slid it down Hayuri's chest, making a deep gash. His hand moved out again and put the card away in the blink of an eye. His now free hand went down to her wound and wiped the blood all around her chest, soaking her shirt in red. Hayuri had a wince plastered on her face, but refused to make any noise at all; she would not give that sick bastard the satisfaction. His hand suddenly squeezed her breast hard, forcing her to grunt in pain. She glared at him and he smirked evilly, once again pressing violently at her blood soaked breast. "Oh, your face only thrills me further. You don't want to make that face."

"That's enough. Just kill me and get over with it." Hayuri deadpanned.

"Oh?" Hisoka raised an eyebrow a stifled a giggle. "Are you willing to throw your life away just to keep your pride? Or is it because you're afraid? What about Killua over there? What about your kid?"

"I know you won't let me walk out of this alive. Illumi came here to make sure I won't come between him and Killua anymore. He probably wants our child dead as well." She said with a plain voice and turned slightly to stare into Hisoka's eyes. "I'd rather stop fooling around."

"Oh!" Hisoka smiled delighted. "I don't know if you're being too cowardly or too intelligent. But you're right about how things are going to end for you. I wonder though, maybe I should have some fun before I take you out."

"Hisoka." Illumi growled five meters away. "Get over with it."

"Oh, jeez. You always spoil my fun. All right." Hisoka crouched down behind Hayuri and yanked on her hair, forcing her to look slightly up and expose her neck.

"Stop!" Killua yelled and was going to move to Hayuri again, but Illumi used his whole body to make a cross lock on him, forcing him to lie still on the ground. Killua moved desperately, trying to break free, but it was to no avail, since Illumi's raw strength was higher than his. He turned around in desperation to look back at her, his body shaking in anticipation. "Fuck! Hayuri!"

"Killua-kun, take a good look at her. It'll be the last time you ever do." Hisoka said with a plain voice, intently looking at the couple that was currently exchanging glances. He thought he saw a kind of understanding glint in their eyes, and assumed that it was some sort of good-bye promise, but he mentally waved it off. He felt Hayuri's nen shift, and he immediately moved the dagger across her neck. The blade made a clean, deep cut on her jugular, and she started chocking on the amount of blood that slipped into her lungs. Most of her blood spilled outside of her, cascading into her body at a fast rate. Hisoka let go of his hold on her and she felt her body crush against the hard floor. Hayuri heard the clinking of the dagger, which had been dropped right next to her. Not five seconds later, she started shaking uncontrollably due to the rapid blood loss and the coldness that came with it, her body striving to build whatever heat it could. As she lay there, she could faintly hear Killua's voice on the background calling her name.

"Hayuri! Hayuri!" Killua jerked and twisted on the ground, finally managing to break out of Illumi's hold. When he got on his feet, he was met face to face with Hisoka, who stood between him and the bleeding body of her. He crouched, like a predating animal, and grunted. "Move the fuck away."

"Oh, Killua-kun. You know it's too late. She will be dead in a minute and there's no way to heal that wound in such short time." Hisoka said, while he wiped his hands on his clothes. "Also, there's no way I will allow you to undo my work."

Killua's hands shook at his sides, adrenaline pumping though his veins at a fast rate. He moved his head sideways, glancing at Illumi, who was a couple meters behind him. He was at a terribly adverse position. On one hand, he and Illumi were equally injured. On the other, Hisoka was certainly much more injured than they were, but his psychopathic tendencies would probably allow him to fight anyways. Killua's feet moved, pushing him sideways and a little towards Hisoka, in an attempt to get away from in between his two opponents. Illumi ran to him to avoid it, but he managed to barely avoid his hands and tried to elbow him on the ribs. Illumi stepped sideways, dodging, and he took out a couple needles. He threw them at Killua and launched at him again right after. Killua blocked the needles and then the punches that Illumi threw his way. He watched from the corner of his eye, as Hisoka moved behind him, kicking him on his lower back. He coated his body with aura just in time and flew a couple meters back.

Killua stood there and stole a quick glance down at his feet, where Hayuri's body lay still. He looked at her for a couple seconds and then stared back up at Illumi, who was standing not far from him.

"Kill, you should know that there's no way you can win. I taught you to make smart choices in this kind of situations. If you promise to cooperate from now on, I can guarantee that you child will live and be raised as part of the family." Illumi offered with a plain voice.

"Fuck off." Killua snorted. "I don't think anybody should live though that hell, much less my own kid."

"All right, we'll have to do this the hard way then." Illumi sighed. He bent low for a second and then jumped at his younger brother, claws sharpened at his sides.

Killua jumped back a couple meters, and Illumi landed right between him and Hayuri's body. Killua blocked the attack aimed at his gut and grabbed an iron-firm hold of Illumi's wrists. Illumi raised an eyebrow at that, trying to figure out how the hell he would benefit from such a move. It anything, it would serve to only hinder him and allow Hisoka to attack him. His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden movement behind him. His eyes widened as he watched the woman that was supposed to be dead, rise up with the dagger firmly held on her right hand. The weapon was coated in nen as it cut though his own aura defense, stabbing his back and his right lung. Killua took advantage of the distraction and let go of his brothers left wrist. Now with his right hand freed, he used his claws to pierce though his left side, straight into his heart.

Hayuri watched as Killua removed his brother's heart in awe; she had never witnessed him do such a thing. She was brought out of her thoughts, as she felt Hisoka move closer to her. She tensed and forced her trembling body to move once again, jumping away from the jester. Killua immediately dropped Illumi's heart on the floor and moved up to Hisoka in a second, kicking his already weakened body away from Hayuri. Noticing that she was safer now, Hayuri allowed her weakened self to crouch down for a second. Her eyes somehow found Illumi's form, which was now barely standing a couple meters from her. They locked eyes for a moment and he managed to smile. It was strange though, since his smile this time seemed honest… almost kind.

"He always had the most potential." Illumi said looking up to the light that filtered through the trees. The hole in his chest was profusely oozing blood, which seemed almost black due to its great amount. He then looked back down and met her gaze. "You've won. I hope his ability doesn't go to waste because of you."

His body seemed to lose all strength after he spoke those words, and it dropped to the ground. Hayuri released a breath she didn't know she was holding and looked at the still corpse of Killua's brother. She observed him for a moment, as his face relaxed and lost its usual cruel appearance, making him look just like a regular person who had never known love.

"It's sad that you only seem to worry about his potential going to waste." She murmured. "I promise, though, that his _life_ will not go to waste. He will be happy."

A _thump_ was heard just after she spoke and she was reminded of the still ongoing fight. She looked to her left and noticed that Killua was panting. Hisoka was on the ground next to him, unmoving, and his head had been completely turned around. Killua crouched down and slashed across his neck, severing the head from the body. He then stood up and walked towards Hayuri's form, who weakly sat under an old oak. She smiled at him as he stopped next to where she was and crouched down, putting her arm around his shoulder. He stood up, pulling her up with him, and circled his other arm around her waist.

"Come on, let's go home." Killua said, just above a whisper, and smiled softly.

Hayuri simply nodded, joy filling her chest and bubbling up to her throat. Her eyes were soon filled with tears and she was openly sobbing, all the while a smile adorned her bloody lips. Killua couldn't help but feel as his own eyes got glassy at the realization that he was finally free. They were finally free.

They walked in comfortable silence for fifteen minutes, at a very slow pace, watching as the sky's colors were shifting towards orange and purple. Soon they entered the village, and walked towards their house. As they did, they noticed how people on the streets gaped at them in horror. There were even people peeking out though the windows of their houses. It was no wonder, though. Killua had a deep gash on his free arm – the one that wasn't holding Hayuri up – and he was filled with other small cuts and bruises. His right hand was soaked in blood and he guessed that his whole body was dirty and muddy. Hayuri, on the other hand, didn't have any wounds on her, since her Hatsu had healed them all, but her skin was unusually pale. On top of that, it seemed as if someone had thrown a bucked of blood or two on her, since she was drenched in it.

When they finally got home, Hayuri immediately had to drink water. When she had already gulped down three glasses of it, Killua brought her to their bathroom. He took off her bloody clothes and threw them on a pile next to the bathtub. When the water was hot enough, he helped her step inside of it and sit down. He thoroughly removed the blood stains on her skin, all the while making sure to be gentle, since it seemed as though her body was aching all around.

"Thank you." She smiled softly, closing her eyes and enjoying the affection displayed by the silver-haired young man sitting on the edge of the tub.

"No, Hayuri. Thank you. For putting up with my affairs." He smiled as the started washing her hair. "You always accepted me without doubt, no matter what my family was like, no matter what my past was like."

"Well, someone had to do it." She managed a smirk throughout her wariness. "You'll have to think of a way to thank me."

"Ha-ha." Killua rolled his eyed, but a soft smile adorned his features. "I can think of a way, but it'll have to wait until you've rested."

"Uh-huh." Hayuri mumbled as she weakly stepped out of the tub. "By the way, we're supposed to meet Laila and Yamato at the town square of Kandia the day after tomorrow."

"Okay." Killua nodded at that and quickly dried her up. He took her towards the bedroom and helped her get on it.

"Damn it, I feel like a frigging old woman." Hayuri grunted as her head rested on the pillow.

"No wonder, you actually came back from the dead today." Killua said and stood up. "I'll get cleaned up now, so take some rest."

Hayuri hummed at that and faintly heard the door to the bedroom close. Not five seconds later, her body had given in and she was sleeping as a rock, like she hadn't done in over a year – since Yamato's birth.

\- Time skip –

Hayuri and Killua stood in the middle of a crowded Plaza, looking around and observing the people passing by. They had been at that for almost two hours, and Killua had been complaining about how she hadn't set a specific time to meet. Hayuri had apologized, but reassured him, saying that she would probably be there around noon. When the huge clock on the square hit 12:43, Killua suddenly took a hold of her hand and dashed across the place, dragging her along. When she looked to where they were headed, she saw Laila standing with Yamato in her arms and observing her surrounding with a frown. When they were a couple meters away from her, her eyes came across from them and her whole face lit up.

"Hey!" she grinned uncontrollably and took a couple steps to meet the halfway. "Thank god you are all right."

"Mommy!" Yamato laughed and threw himself into her arms. Hayuri caught and pressed him to her body, feeling relief wash over her, now that her baby was in her arms. Safe. Alive.

"He has really missed you. Last night he kept calling for you. I think he wanted to be nursed… you know he's not used to formula, since we don't have any of it back home." Laila sighed.

"Addy!" Yamato grinned once again and threw his arms at Killua. Killua widely grinned as well, and stretched his arms to take a hold of his son, but the baby soon thought better about it and hugged his mother once again. "Mommy."

Everybody sweat-dropped at that, and Killua sighed. He was already used for the baby's preference for his mother.

"How are you? How did it go?" Laila questioned with a raised eyebrow and waving her hands around, showing off her excitement.

"We won. Surprisingly. Also, they're dead, so now we're free to do whatever." Hayuri's grin widened as she told her the good news.

"Finally!" Laila threw her arms around the two young people on front of her. "I'm so happy for the both of you. Especially for you, Killua."

"Thanks." He smiled fondly at the woman in front of him.

"So, have you decided?" Laila said as she straightened back and took a good look at them.

"What?" Hayuri asked, clearly taken aback by her question.

"Well, what you're going to do, obviously." Laila answered. "I know you're not comfortable in my hometown. Do you intend to stay there?"

"Actually, we talked about it." Killua said and slightly averted his eyes. "We decided to move out. We really are grateful for all that you've done, but it's true that we don't really like it there."

"Oh." Laila said and her tone dropped a bit, signaling that she was a bit sad at the news. "Well, I can't say that I won't miss ya, but I'm glad that you'll do what you want this time around."

"Don't worry, Laila." Hayuri sternly added. "You're family to me, to us. I promise that we'll visit often. I can't say how often though, because we plan to travel around and work as Pro-hunters."

"Well, as long as you make sure to keep Yamato safe. It's not a good profession to have if you're looking after a toddler." Laila sighed, clear worry in her eyes.

"We'll take turns to watch over him. He won't ever be without any of us to look after him." Killua said and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hey, should we find someplace to eat out and celebrate? We're paying."

"All right." Laila smiled. "I think I saw a place around the corner, let me show you."

The three of them made their way to said place, following Laila's lead. Suddenly, Yamato shifted away from Hayuri, who was currently holding him, and opened his arms towards Killua.

"Addy!" he smiled in delight. Killua felt warmth build in his chest at the immense love and affection that his son's expression held. He immediately raised his arms and held him against his chest, hugging him close. He felt Hayuri's hand close around his and could hear the smile in her face as she animatedly spoke to Laila.

A sudden feeling of bliss and hope filled him like only a few times before. He felt that, finally, his life was his own. He could decide his own future and make his own choices, and bear the responsibilities that came with it to heart. He could freely build the family he wanted. He could freely love the people he wanted to love. He could decide what profession to build a career in.

He was finally free.

 **THE END**

 **A/N: Well, that's it. I don't know if this was a little sudden as an ending, but it felt right to me. Also, I'm sorry for having two characters die, really. However, I don't think they would've even been free of them otherwise, and I really wanted them to be.**

 **Please tell me your thoughts on my story! Praises and criticism are both accepted. I want to know what kept you interested, what thrilled you, what seemed out of place, what was boring, what you didn't like.**

 **Thank you for reading!**


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